I’m So Happy That We Moved Beyond Buckets With Poles

People are resilient.

I think we’re designed that way.

It’s embedded in our DNA to forge ahead, soldier on.

It’s a whole lot easier to do with an army at your back.

But sometimes it feels like we’re on our own.

It might even feel like the world is conspiring against us at times.

A test to see just how much we can take.

How do you get out?

How do you break the cycle?

A wolf will chew off its own leg just to escape.

Which makes perfect sense.

If you’re being held back, cornered, forced into a situation, you do whatever you can to change it, to break free, to survive.

Sometimes escape is our default.

But sometimes we stay the course.

We cope, we navigate.

Traps don’t look the same to everybody, especially not from inside one.

Sometimes what the world sees as having us pinned down, actually ends up helping push us forward. Giving us purpose, control.

Once in a while, the very thing everyone thinks is holding us back is also what makes us feel whole.

I wanted to explore the history of a device that my life so heavily depends on.

I realized that I really rely heavily on my wheelchair for so much but I didn’t even know who to thank for it. The following people’s names should be known and forever remembered. I know I’ll never forget them.

Before the wheelchair was invented, “sedan chairs” were used. These “chairs” didn’t have any wheels. Instead, they had two poles on each side of a box that had a chair inside. People needed the help of two other people to go anywhere!

Early wheelchairs:

King Philip II’s wheelchair

Built in 1595 for the Spanish king, due to his gout and arthritis. This wheelchair was more like a portable throne than a modern wheelchair. It had arm and leg rests, an adjustable backrest, and four small wheels. It was called an invalid’s chair. I hate that word!

In the 18th century, the basic chair began to become a common fixture in medical catalogues. They were advertised as transportation devices for patients. 

Bath chair

Invented in 1783 by John Dawson of Bath, England, this chair was used to transport people to the city’s thermal baths. It had two large rear wheels and a small front wheel, and could be pushed or pulled by a horse. It was originally designed for women.

Gouty chair

Designed by John Joseph Merlin, this wheelchair used gears and cranks to propel the user. It became so popular that wheelchairs were called “Merlin chairs” for many years. 

Motorized wheelchairs:

First motorized wheelchair: Created in London in 1916, but not put into production.

5th century BCE: The earliest record of a device resembling a wheelchair dates back to China. Early versions came from wheeled furniture designs. It’s believed the Chinese used wheelbarrows to move disabled people around.

First electrically powered wheelchair: Named the Klein Drive Chair. Created in the 1953 by Canadian inventor George Klein and his team at the National Research Council of Canada. The wheelchair was designed to help World War two veterans who were paralyzed or had limited mobility. He was inspired by a Canadian World War two veteran named John Counsell who was shot in the back and became paralyzed. It was mass produced in 1956 and distributed to veterans in Canada.

The first self-propelled wheelchair was invented in 1655 by Stephen Farfler, A 22 year old paraplegic clock/watch maker from Nuremberg, Germany. Farfler used his mechanical skills to create a chair with a three-wheel chassis that he could move by turning handles.

These are more than just wheelchairs. We are being carried by all these people. The hours of hard work, sweat and tears. Especially since these inventions were made when everything was harder to accomplish! They have helped millions live life. I can understand how most people used to think that a major injury, hindering walking, was so tragic and life was basically over. That was very true back then but thanks to these wonderful people, it certainly is not! These people have opened up the world to people who need some help living a good life! Most importantly, it has brought so many wonderful friends together that wouldn’t have met otherwise and for that, I doff my cap!

There are many different types of manual wheelchair wheels. Spokes vs. Mag (composite) wheels. Although spokes are lighter, Mag wheels are less maintenance and the most common wheels. They are made of a nylon and fiberglass-like material that is very strong and lightweight. They usually have less than ten spokes. Spoked wheels where the original and only option before the invention of mag wheels. They were probably created similar to bicycles. 

High Performance Wheels:

High performance wheels are are not used by average wheelchair users. There are many kinds of these wheels on the market for sports and very active users. High performance wheelchairs are designed to be light and fast but many of these features make them very difficult and sometimes impossible to operate in everyday life.

Wheelchair Tires

There are three types of wheelchair tires- air filled, solid and foam filled. The tires will be a factor on how easily the wheelchair will roll over all terrain. Generally the harder the tire, the easier the wheelchair will roll and turn corners. The softer the tire, the harder it will be to propel the wheelchair.

Air tires are fairly common on the rear of a wheelchair because they will roll over soft terrain easier and give a better ride than solid tires. The disadvantage of air tires is they will go flat if punctured and they will go soft even without any damage eventually. An air tire that is under inflated makes the wheelchair hard to push and causes excessive wear on the tires. Air tires and tubes need to be replaced more often than solid tires.

Solid tires are the best tires for those who want a wheelchair to roll as well as possible on smooth ground but they give the roughest ride over bumps and ridges on the ground. The biggest advantage is they are virtually maintenance free, they won’t go flat and they won’t likely wear out in the life of the wheelchair. Solid tires are most suitable for wheelchairs that are expected to stay indoors most of the time, like nursing homes and hospitals.

Foam filled or flat free inserts are basically air tires that have a semi-solid core. The advantage is they will stay harder than air tires and not be subject to flat tires but still give a bit softer ride than a solid tire. This type of tire will wear out over time and have to be replaced on wheelchairs that have heavy use. They are considered a compromise between air filled and solid tires.

Nobody is quite sure when the wheelchair was invented or by who. Probably because there were several different contraptions but which are considered wheelchairs? Estimates are that the first wheelchair was invented between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. They theorize it was possibly invented along with the creation of wheeled furniture and wheelbarrows.

Wheelchairs have come such a long way over the years.

Here is a collection of photos to show just how far:

Some of these were already mentioned but here is a timeline:

12th century: It’s believed the concept of the wheelbarrow and crude versions of the wheelchair began to be used around this time in Europe.

1655: The first self-propelled wheelchair is developed. It was invented in Germany by disabled watchmaker Stephan Farfler. His design included three wheels and he could move it with the use of a rotary handle on the front wheel. Around the same time frame, German inventor and mechanic, Johann Hautsch, developed a series of rolling chairs.

1760: The bath chair was created by English inventor James Heath. It became a popular way to transport people with illnesses and disabilities, even though it was initially designed for women. The design is similar to a rickshaw. It had a three- and four-wheel design, and it could be pushed or pulled. Other designs were developed so people could be pulled by horse.

18th century: Wheelchairs began to become a normal fixture in medical catalogues. They were advertised as transportation devices for patients. They resembled armchairs with two larger wheels at the front and a smaller wheel at the back.

1901: The basic chair was invented. It closely resembles the modern design of wheelchairs used today. It had a seat, footrests and four wheels – two smaller wheels at the front and two larger wheels at the back.

1932: The folding wheelchair was introduced. It’s one of the biggest design breakthroughs in the device’s history. It was invented by Harry Jennings for his friend. The folding design and tubular steel chair with a cross frame became the standard design. This model allowed people to use the wheelchair outside of the home, hospitals and care facilities. Later designs were built on Jennings concepts and were focused on decreasing the weight of the chair and improving its overall performance.

1950: After World War II, demand for wheelchairs spiked. There were thousands of wounded veterans who needed mobility assistance. A Canadian, George Klein, saw the need and invented the electric wheelchair for veterans. The original design was a standard wheelchair with a motor added. Later designs had the motor and battery built into the chair under the seat. Additional developments in ergonomics, controls, comfort, and performance were created as new technologies were developed.

1980: Niche wheelchair designs began to come to market. During this time, the rigid wheelchair was created. It was intended for athletes. They are self-propelling and some can reach speeds of up to 30 km/hr.

There is no doubt modern wheelchairs have complex designs and functionality. Implementation of new technology, robotics and artificial intelligence will lead the way for future designs. We are now at the point in the development of the wheelchair where inventors are working on a device that allows people to control the wheelchair with their minds.

Mary Bellis explains the concept of the design:

“John Donoghue and Braingate invented a new wheelchair technology intended for a patient with very limited mobility, who otherwise would have issues using a wheelchair by themselves. The BrainGate device is implanted into the patient’s brain and hooked to a computer to which the patient can send mental commands that results in any machine including wheelchairs doing what they want it to. The new technology is called BCI or brain-computer interface.”

Other modern designs include the push rim activated power assisted wheelchair (PAPAW).

The PAPAW is a hybrid of electric and manual wheelchair technologies that employ motors to supplement the power applied by the user to one or both push-rims during propulsion or braking.

There are so many other amazing advancements being worked on for wheelchairs and other disability devices. I’m so grateful for them and for the people working hard to make them happen! Even if I never get to use them, I know this life is very hard and I’m happy knowing that it might be a little easier for people in the future.

There are two advancements that I found particularly interesting and would like to share.

There is a new wheel being worked on. A good friend sent me a video of this new wheel concept -The ‘morphing’ wheel from South Korea that may transform lives.

Unlike older technologies like non-pneumatic tires, they are so versatile. These wheels only morph when they need to, keeping things efficient and stable during normal driving. It’s like having two wheels in one: a normal rigid wheel on smooth terrain and a soft, adaptable wheel when the going gets tough.

Imagine a wheelchair that can climb curbs, steps and all different terrain? This would be so life-changing and erase hundreds of obstacles.

This is what researchers from the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) envision for their morphing wheel, which can roll over obstacles up to 1.3 times the height of its radius. The design could allow wheelchairs to climb stairs and navigate rocky paths, with the wheels changing their stiffness in real-time without needing complex machinery or sensors.

Inspired by the surface tension of water droplets, it goes from solid to fluid when it encounters impediments.

Wheels developed for a similar purpose such as non-pneumatic or airless tires have flexibility but are limited in their ability to overcome obstacles.

The morphing wheel consists of an outer chain hoop and a series of spoke wires running through the hub. The stiffness of the spokes and the wheel is automatically regulated by a sensor as it reacts to the terrain.

The morphing wheel was the cover article of the journal Science Robotics in August.

They are also looking to apply this technology to robotics.

The possibilities are endless!

I thank these people immensely!

I went to have my wheelchair repaired and saw a brochure that caught my eye. 

This company WHILL makes a line of power chairs that look amazing!

WHILL: Innovative Personal Mobility

The wheels can handle difficult terrain. It folds up and can also be taken apart in three separate pieces for easier travel.

These people are opening up so many worlds and I thank them so much for it!

Here are some quotes from the website –

“Innovation for Inclusive Mobility-

At WHILL, we are dedicated to fulfilling our mission of delivering fun and innovative mobility for all. We are changing the way people think about personal transportation and breaking down barriers to inclusive mobility. With a focus on smart design and innovative technology, our products and services are designed for people who have difficulty walking, as well as those who want to move freely on sidewalks and indoors.”

“The Origin of WHILL-

Founded in 2012 by three innovators based in San Francisco and Tokyo: Satoshi Sugie, with a background in Nissan automotive design; Junpei Naito, from Sony’s R&D department; and Muneaki Fukuoka, specializing in medical equipment R&D at Olympus. They were inspired to found WHILL after speaking with a particular wheelchair user.”

My favorite quote:

“One individual’s story sparked our journey. Feeling isolated and limited by societal perceptions, he shared, “I even gave up going to the grocery store just two blocks away”. Traditional wheelchairs prioritized functionality over individuality. This drove WHILL designers and engineers to create a mobility device that empowers individuals to move through the world with confidence and enthusiasm.” 

This company is conducting a trial of automatic chairs in a few airports where someone can get in, input the desired gate and it automatically takes you there. They are currently working on adjustments like unscheduled stops along the way and the ability for it to use lifts to bring people right to the gate. It has a rack for your luggage. Advanced notice or reservations are not necessary. This is a HUGE advance towards independence! It doesn’t just help you get into a store, it helps open up the entire world to people! I really hope that this becomes a useful resource in every airport across the world. I think the possibilities are endless! Imagine museums, government buildings, malls, movie theaters, etc….. with these?

WHILL Autonomous Service for Businesses | WHILL

Using cameras and sensors, the system detects other people, objects & obstacles while driving and stops automatically. This feature reduces the risk of collisions with people and the surrounding environment. It also has a manual emergency brake.

Once the WHILL mobility device has dropped the user at their selected destination, it automatically returns to the original station and stands by for the next user.

Do you know why redwoods can grow so high? They move and bend with the wind.

If you stay rigid, eventually you’ll break. I know that whatever brought anyone to need a wheelchair was very difficult. These people may be lower in height but in reality, are some of the strongest people I know!

The people that create these valuable devices are like much needed water helping the other redwoods grow as big as them. Wanting to make life easier for people they don’t even know. Others refusing to accept how things were when they became unable to do things. I’ll be forever grateful for them!