Wheelchairs are very powerful tools that have a history dating back thousands of years.
However, most of the technology behind the modern wheelchair, except for the wheel itself, is much newer.
Instead, the modern manual wheelchair is based on the E&J design, characterized by a lightweight hollow tubed frame, folded when not in use.
Today, manual wheelchairs remain incredibly popular, but the electric wheelchair is also a very common choice for wheelchair users.
Not too surprisingly, the modern electric wheelchair also has its roots in the E&J Wheelchair design.
This is because the first electric wheelchairs were simply E&J wheelchairs outfitted with an electric motor.
The early manufacturer would sell electric conversion kits designed for use with the E&J design, but today the electric wheelchair has a significantly different design than a manual wheelchair.
Most modern electric wheelchairs, which are often called power chairs, feature a relatively small base covered in molded plastic.
The base contains the electric motor, wiring, wheelbase, and rechargeable batteries of the wheelchair.
Some are quite small, while others have a much large wheelbase, resulting in a much larger wheelchair.
Attached to the top of the wheelchair base is a chair, which can usually be swiveled to enter or exit the wheelchair much easier.
The reason the base of an electric wheelchair is so small, especially when compared to that of a mobility scooter, is that by design, a wheelchair must be able to be driven directly up to a table or desk, without requiring its user to transfer to another chair or a bench.
For heavy-duty electric wheelchairs, the base is usually larger, but it is still designed to drive the power chair directly up to a desk.
Rear-Wheel Drive Wheelchairs
The number of wheels on a power chair is one way that they are classified. Rear-wheel drive wheelchairs usually have wheels in the front and a set of wheels in the back.
The rear wheels are responsible for moving the wheelchair and are slightly larger than the front wheels, typically there for support.
One of the advantages of a rear-wheel-drive power chair is that they are very stable.
The user’s weight is spread out more evenly around the chair’s base, resulting in a very stable wheelchair.
Mid-Wheel Drive Wheelchairs
The Mid-Wheel Drive Wheelchair has three sets of wheels.
The front set and rear set are much smaller and are designed to provide stability and support.
The mid wheels are responsible for moving and turning the wheelchair, which offers the advantage of greatly improved maneuverability.
This is an important feature, as many wheelchair users rely on their power chairs for indoor use.
However, it is at the expense of the extra stability offered by a rear-wheel-drive power chair.
This is because most of the weight is placed on the mid-wheel, which significantly changes the wheelchair’s center of balance.
This is not to say that mid-wheel drive wheelchairs are unstable, simply that they are less stable than rear-wheel drive wheelchairs.
As a result, a rear-wheel-drive power chair will usually provide better service for outdoor use or high weight capacity.
