In the history of this column, I’ve never found a product so intriguing and applicable to us wheelers that it merited a whole column unto itself. However, as innovation goes, there’s always a first.
“Power assist” — that is, the ability to motorize an ultralight manual wheelchair for easier propulsion — has been around for decades in incarnations from the mild to the wild. However, what has been recently realized is that less is more. Many consumers —whether paras with shoulder strain or quads with strength limitations — still want the minimalism of a manual wheelchair over a power chair, where accessibility and transportability are vital. They also need the benefit of some sort of power assist and would love to have that option but don’t want to convert their ultralight wheelchairs into cumbersome machines.
Fortunately, one of the most fascinating ultralight wheelchair innovations in a long time provides a power assist solution that keeps a manual wheelchair as close as possible to its ultralight nature.
Intuitive Propulsion
To witness a seemingly normal ultralight wheelchair travel a city block on a single push is an astounding sight. What’s more, seeing it climb an uphill city block without any push strokes at 5 mph is mind-boggling. Yet, this is exactly what the Smart Drive by Max Mobility allows.
Unlike most other power assist products, the Smart Drive doesn’t involve swapping the rear wheels or adding a power base and joystick. In fact, with the Smart Drive, nothing on the wheelchair changes except for the addition of a tiny mount in the center of the camber tube and a power button. The Smart Drive is a fifth, motorized wheel unit that rests on the camber tube and contacts the ground. A push of the main wheels triggers the Smart Drive wheel to go, and via a remarkably powerful 250-watt motor, it begins propelling the wheelchair. A slow push makes the Smart Drive go slow and faster pushes make it go faster, between 1.1 mph and 5.5 mph. To steer, simply grip the hand rims normally, and a firmer grip stops the Smart Drive altogether. It’s remarkably fluid and intuitive, where a simple push of the wheels with the Smart Drive attached creates an infinite glide — or at least a 10-mile range per the lithium-based battery.
For longer trips, the Smart Drive has an outdoor mode, where the push of a button enables a constant speed, allowing you to cruise down a bike lane or up a hill while steering, but never needing to push. To stop, you press the button, disengaging the Smart Drive.
The Smart Drive consists of an 8-pound battery pack that clips under the seat and the 11-pound drive-wheel unit. Both components are ultra-quick release and mount on or off of the wheelchair in about one minute. The minimal weight of the components not only make it a breeze to transport, but because the weight is based at the frame and not the wheels, it’s extremely efficient. This goes back to basic physics that heavier wheels require more energy to propel and accelerate. However, because the lightweight Smart Drive is suspended from the frame — as opposed to integrated into the wheels — you truly can’t feel any difference when propelling manually with the unit turned off.
The Smart Drive has an MSRP of $6,450, is available via online discounters for around $5,800, and is covered by most insurers, including Medicare, the VA, workers comp, and many private insurers. It’s coded E0986, a “push-activated power assist,” and is funded under such preexisting conditions as shoulder or wrist injuries, or limited strength to propel a manual wheelchair.
There are many power assist systems on the market, with varying technologies and applications, where some may suit your needs better than others. Nevertheless, the Smart Drive is arguably among the most amazing wheelchair technologies ever invented. The cool factor isn’t just in the technology, but more-so in the world that it opens up to many ultralight wheelchair users.
Resource
• Smart Drive, Max Mobility, 800/637-2980; www.max-mobility.com.
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