Add-on turns manual wheelchairs into electric ones

Electric wheelchairs have brought new mobility to disabled individuals around the world, but with prices typically starting at around USD 1,000, they’re not within reach for everyone. That’s where WHILL comes in, with an attachment that converts traditional wheelchairs into electric ones.

A creation of the Japanese company by the same name, WHILL includes two circular hubs that attach to the wheels of any wheelchair. Powered by lithium ion batteries, those hubs each contain a 24-volt electric motor that brings electric drive to manual wheelchairs, with speeds of up to 20 km per hour, according to a report on Gizmag. For users, steering the chair is reportedly just a matter of leaning in the direction they want to go.

Source: springwise.comAdded: 2 January 2012