so cool - wheelchair alternative

[AngieW in Texas]

I saw this on facebook today and found it fascinating. It's an alternative to a wheelchair that can actually pull the user to a standing position and moves with the user standing or sitting. It doesn't look like any are available yet, but it's supposed to be available this year. I'm really curious about how much it will cost compared to an electric wheelchair.

 

http://www.matiarobotics.com/index.html

[Stacia]

Thanks! I forwarded this info to a friend of mine who has a son in a wheelchair. (The FAQ page said it will cost around $15K since you were asking about price.)

[Tammi K]

Very cool. It looks like it offers much more independence for the user.

[AmyontheFarm]

That would be incredible but unfortunately way to expensive for most families. Perhaps for adults who would use it on the job, the cost would be worth it.

[celticmom]

I can see pros and cons. I have a friend who uses a wheelchair and I have helped her with both an electric wheelchair and with braces and crutches. The braces that allow someone to stand can be very uncomfortable and I don't see how this device could hold someone up without some sort of brace-like device. Also, it has one of the same problems as an electric wheelchair. If the motor malfunctions or runs out of charge you have a problem. The wheelchair my friend used at college could not be pushed by her and she could not disengage the wheels from the motor herself while sitting in the chair. She almost always had someone walking with her just in case. When the motor was disengaged the wheelchair was about like a car with malfunctioning power steering. If this thing malfunctions while someone is using it will another normal sized not particularly strong person be able to help move it and the person in it without accidentally knocking it over?

[*********]

The price really is prohibitive. Unless they're going to work to get insurances to cover it.

[KarenNC]

Similar items have been around for a while (google "standing power chair" for some examples), but obviously haven't "caught on" well---probably due to the issues listed above. Most of the examples I've seen have supported the person from behind, however, and I can't swear that the chair would move while in the standing position. I know I remember first seeing a similar device commercially available when I worked for The Arc (so 18-25 years ago) but I've not met anyone who uses one. I did know one lady who had a chair that raised the seat higher as a unit to access counters, etc, but it wasn't a standing chair.

[UrbanSue]

I've seen this. The thing is it wouldn't replace a manual chair. A user with the physical ability to use one of these would want the freedom of movement, speed, and exercise you get from self-propelling a manual chair as well. But this is certainly a huge improvement over the crazy bulky mobile standers out there now. And, in my experience (my 8yo is paraplegic) there's no way an insurance company is going to pay for this. They won't pay for things like standing manual chairs that DO actually replace two devices at once and are no-brainers in terms of promoting health. Since those of us with wheelchairs in the family typically have more pressing ways to dispose of $15K, I don't see it taking off for normal users, unfortunately. But I"m always glad to cheer for any technological advances!