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Earlier quoted context omitted.
As the sibling comments noted, we're talking about bespoke wheelchairs for people with severe mobility disability (MS, ALS, etc). Things like Stephen Hawking's chair.
Still, they shouldn't cost more than a high end Ebike.
Bit, a high end e-bike is $12-$15k. Which also seems ridiculous to me. And I’m a cyclist with several nice bikes (none of which were more than $7k).
What the article does not seem to mention is that an usual electric wheelchair costs about $65,000 (and is intended to be replaced every six years or so). This and the non-availability of replacement parts is why some wheelchair users started a project to open-source a wheelchair from standard parts: https://themif.org/ Louis Rossmann interviewed the founder of the project here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaAj59…
This puts the Bluey episode "Granny Mobile" in context, where the grouchy granny wants to buy the used wheelchair for a mere $100. $1,200 is still an incredible deal.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
As the sibling comments noted, we're talking about bespoke wheelchairs for people with severe mobility disability (MS, ALS, etc). Things like Stephen Hawking's chair.
Still, they shouldn't cost more than a high end Ebike.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
And your better alternative is........... ?
Capitalism moderated by various systems emerging from a genuine, sophisticated democratic system would be my advice. We have a lot of work to get from here to there though, and much of it is the undoing of mass psychological condition.
We frequently hear about "private equity" doing something sociopathic. We sometimes don't even hear the names of the companies, just "private equity". Do we need to systematically trace and publish which individuals and institutions benefit from the nasty companies?
People will take action faster if they knew Thaddeus Wrappesalot went straight from lacrosse captain to executive chairmen hiking veterinarian costs.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I didn't realize that FDA Class I regulations were this easy to comply with. They definitely won't be once this open source effort shows any sign of success. You can't solve political problems with technical solutions. At best, you may be able to displace them, but even that is rare.
I only just noticed that the wheelchair https://libertymemesfoundation.org/donations/endurance-the-o... is actually a Class 2 device. That sounds really hard to get past the FDA. I think it's pretty cool still because folks with the knowhow could make their own, but the disabled are probably SOL because you can't really make these for sale without that. I suppose the FDA's reasoning is that they're better off having…
The FDA is not comparing no mobility and simply an inoperable device, the FDA is comparing no mobility vs the possible outcomes of an malfunctioning device. Like perhaps what happens if the throttle gets stuck on forward.
Sigh. I dealt with NSM a few years ago to get a new manual wheelchair. The tech who fitted me for it, and delivered it, was great, but very obviously always in a rush. The chair itself was not made to spec, so it was just not useable for me as-is. After many months of trying (and failing) to get NSM to help me mod it and get it as close to spec as possible, I gave up and just continued using my old chair. But even mo…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Still, they shouldn't cost more than a high end Ebike.
I don’t know what the median/average price is for these, only the range. Bit, a high end e-bike is $12-$15k. Which also seems ridiculous to me. And I’m a cyclist with several nice bikes (none of which were more than $7k).
"Nine", or did you mean "none"? I'm just checking if it was a typo, or if I should be jealous. :-)
I deal with wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs, oxygen systems, CPAPs, spirometry, and more every day. Electric wheelchairs are built to be very rugged and dirt simple. There are 2 problems: The first problem is insurance. People expect their insurance to cover everything. If they need a new set of 35 AH SLA batteries, they will throw their old chair away and ask for a new chair on insurance. The second problem is tha…
On the broken, ruled as patent-infringing part, what do you want to happen that would comply with patent law? If it was compatible with Anderson, you’d just buy that. Since it wasn’t and the original company isn’t allowed to keep making them…
What the article does not seem to mention is that an usual electric wheelchair costs about $65,000 (and is intended to be replaced every six years or so). This and the non-availability of replacement parts is why some wheelchair users started a project to open-source a wheelchair from standard parts: https://themif.org/ Louis Rossmann interviewed the founder of the project here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaAj59…
I was curious what parts they were using in their design but couldn't find any actual open source design content. The website seems to be 100% fundraising copy. The idea seems good, I hope this doesn't turn out to be another piece of accessible tech vaporware.