• I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world
    7·
    4 months ago

    I could see this being useful. Not everyone who uses a wheel chair is paralyzed. Some have balance issues, or limited strength. Dividing the effort between arms and legs could give increased independence and it would be more ergonomic than scooting with the feet like a lot of people end up doing in wheel chairs.

    Sure, it’s not super different from a recumbent bike (and seems to lack a steering mechanism) but if the pedals could be folded out of the way it could be easier for a person with mobility issues to get in and out of.

    • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.worldEnglish
      01·
      4 months ago

      It’s not necessarily about usefulness but rather quantity and economics of scale.

      The number of people needing wheelchairs in the first place is pretty small compared to the population, and adding the additional caveat of those that can still use their legs fully to power what is effectively a bicycle, results in a venn diagram with an extremely tiny use case.

      The cost of a decent basic wheelchair (not AliExpress/Walmart shit) is already high. Adding the complexity of a bicycle on top of that just makes it more expensive. And then there’s insurance which almost certainly would tell you to kick rocks before they would even think of covering a fraction of the cost because it isn’t necessary.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
    4·
    4 months ago

    I once suggested a similar project at our company. One of our products is labelled in braille. For technical reasons it was the easiest way to drill holes in the front plate and stick a transparent plastic insert through from the back.

    My suggestion was to add a few blue LEDs behind it to light up those braille dots. It would have been meaningless for the intended user - but it would have looked way cool!

    • BanjoShepard@lemmy.world
      4·
      4 months ago

      I often think of this sign I saw at a small children’s playground with braille on it hung 6 feet in the air with no way to reach it. Braille printed on a sign posted too high to reach.

      • BluesF@lemmy.world
        2·
        4 months ago

        There’s also no way for someone who needs Braille to actually DO the “puzzle”. The other words don’t have Braille, the map appears to be flat. Terrible design.

  • dezmd@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    4 months ago

    1. You need to cover the chain for safety during operation.

    2. You need foot straps and side leg protectors/support.

    Could this possibly exercise leg and foot muscles of people with no lower mobility due to spinal/nerve injuries?

    • bobo@lemmy.world
      1·
      4 months ago

      I’m an able-bodied handcyclist. Not a wheelchair attachment, but a dedicated handcycle. I’ve been riding one for over 20 years now. I alternate riding it and riding a leg-powered bicycle. Cycling and hiking are the only exercises I will religiously stick to. I realized that my upper body was being neglected and gave a handcycle a shot.

      They are super fun and a great workout. I prefer my handcycle rides tremendously over my to eg-poweted bicycle rides (but I can’t skip leg day). I highly recommend trying out a handcycle to anybody who thinks they may be interested.

      If you’re in the Los Angeles area, and are interested in trying one out, message me. I love introducing folks to handcycles and live down the block from a bike path. I even have a couple for sale that I’d let go at a very reasonable price if anyone wants one. I just don’t want to ship them.

    • The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.worldOPM
      1·
      4 months ago

      Worried about people’s reaction?

      I frequently save memes in my ever-growing folder, then skip them at the last moment because I worry the audience here might think it’s over the line. This one seems to have landed though.

  • Elextra@literature.cafe
    1·
    4 months ago

    To qualify for a wheelchair under American insurance, you have to be unsafe to use a walker or cane for mobility, be primarily wheelchair bound (need person to help transfer you or have enough upper body to transfer yourself), etc. Most patients I think of that I discharge with a wheelchair would not be able to use this device…

    For those that can use something like this, there are so many micro mobility things out there. As someone pointed out recumbent bicycles already exist.