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A $1k Wheelchair

newmobility.com

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Re: A $1k Wheelchair

#331

Post by krisoft »

lynx23 wrote: post #281
mistercheph wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just from googling -- an orbit reader 40-cell appears to cost $1,700 USD, is there a reason this doesn't actually solve the same problem as the 6,000 euro display, or are these not available in your market for that cost? Sorry if my question is off the mark, I don't know a lot about this and your comment piqued my curiosity.

Orbit reader is the most low-quality device you can find on the market. This is like suggesting a bicycle to someone complaining about car prices.

I’m sure the commenter meant well. You said “In Europe, a 40-cell braille display starts a 6k.” Which to me means that the most low quality, cheapest device starts at 6k.

Now i learn from you that that low quality device is so bad that you consider it a separate product class in itself. Can you tell us more what does it lack? In other words what features are you looking for when you are looking for a 40-cell brail display? (What is the minimum quality for it to be a “car” in your analogy?)

Re: A $1k Wheelchair

#332

Post by averageRoyalty »

hmottestad wrote: post #257
Havoc wrote: post #23

For context - he has a ~9m sub youtube channel on phones that must be banking it. This is a side project that appears to be grown out of frustration of disabled wife & seeing the shitshow that wheelchair market is. Seems 10/10 wholesome to have this disrupted by someone that cares

I’ve been watching his channel for a long time and remember back before they were together. If I remember correctly he first built her a wheelchair to go hiking in. That was kinda the beginning of their relationship. I think there was also a stair climbing wheelchair involved at some point, but that could have been a sponsored thing rather than something he built. He’s also been working on an electric humvee. So he’s…

It's explained not very far in the article what the first wheelchair he built her was.

Re: A $1k Wheelchair

#333

Post by averageRoyalty »

ninalanyon wrote: post #303

In the UK you can buy a simple wheelchair for 132 GBP: https://www.uk-wheelchairs.co.uk/ugo-essential-self-propelle... And what look like slightly fancier ones for between 300 and 500 GBP: https://www.millercare.co.uk/collections/self-propel-wheelch... A magnesium alloy framed one is only 450 GBP: https://www.mobilitysmart.co.uk/magnelite-self-propelled-whe... So what am I missing?

My first kagi result also shows many options below AUD $1000 (USD $700 or so):

https://www.buywheelchair.com.au/

I suspect it's like anything in the US - despite much of the global research being done there at taxpayer expense, Americans seem to get screwed over on anything health or medicine related. And they continue to argue that their health system is a good one, for some weird Stockholm Syndrome-esque reason I suppose.

I would assume the wheelchairs I linked above are made in China and anyone enterprising could import them for < $500 USD per unit. I also assume their insurance cartel would have an argument why they're not suitable, despite being suitable for the other 7.8B people in the world.

Re: A $1k Wheelchair

#334

Post by averageRoyalty »

newaccount74 wrote: post #280
Tepix wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're replying to someone who just stated they have such a bike and it has already lasted 12 years.

They have a single speed bike, which is a lot cheaper and not what most people mean when they want to buy "a bike". Adding gears will add at least 100€ to the price, for entry level components. They also said they replaced the tires with gatorskins, which are 40€ a piece.

I would assume the wheelchairs that prompted this are single speed also though, making it an apt comparison?

Re: A $1k Wheelchair

#336

Post by K0balt »

lynx23 wrote: post #281
mistercheph wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just from googling -- an orbit reader 40-cell appears to cost $1,700 USD, is there a reason this doesn't actually solve the same problem as the 6,000 euro display, or are these not available in your market for that cost? Sorry if my question is off the mark, I don't know a lot about this and your comment piqued my curiosity.

Orbit reader is the most low-quality device you can find on the market. This is like suggesting a bicycle to someone complaining about car prices.

This is a fascinating potential wedge for an open-source initiative. Could you please elaborate as to what makes a device highly usable and of good quality, vs cheap and unpleasant to use?

I’ve long thought that open source would make a lot of sense for assistive devices, and that it has the potential to change incentives within the cartel of assistive device manufacturing.

Re: A $1k Wheelchair

#337

Post by joelhaasnoot »

jccalhoun wrote: post #199
123pie123 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i think he's a better than average presenter for a youtube channel. I did like his huge bunker videos my biggest annoyance is his plugging or advertising stuff too obviously

Agreed. I understand he has to pay the bills but there were one or two episodes of the bunker series that really felt like fluff to put in between ads.

Would rather have 5 episodes with a 5 min sponsor section than one 25 min episode about your way too expensive cooling mattress

Re: A $1k Wheelchair

#338

Post by cbzoiav »

srockets wrote: post #284
urban_winter wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$1000 is not cheap for an off the shelf wheelchair such as hospitals make available for patients (in the UK, at least). That was my first thought on reading the article - "$1000 for a wheelchair, really?" - and a quick Google shows that you can buy what looks like reasonable quality wheelchairs for less than that. But the ones on the article are custom-made for each buyer, which is clearly a vastly more expensive opt…

No, you can't buy a reasonable quality wheelchair for less. You can buy what a person who doesn't need a wheelchair consider reasonable. If you had to use those cheap chairs for 16 hours a day, and pushing yourself even just for a mile of well paved roads, not even uphill, you would never consider those reasonable.

Except the wheelchairs used in hospitals are to push patients short distances across hard flat floors.

Re: A $1k Wheelchair

#339

Post by cbzoiav »

zeroq wrote: post #279
urban_winter wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$1000 is not cheap for an off the shelf wheelchair such as hospitals make available for patients (in the UK, at least). That was my first thought on reading the article - "$1000 for a wheelchair, really?" - and a quick Google shows that you can buy what looks like reasonable quality wheelchairs for less than that. But the ones on the article are custom-made for each buyer, which is clearly a vastly more expensive opt…

It doesn't work like this. Take aircrafts or (to some degree) a racing car. You need a screw. Sure you can get one at your local hardware shop for a penny, but for regulated market you need one with certification and that will cost you something close to $10. I know it's crazy but that's how it works.

Difference being it doesn't fail and if it does you know exactly how it was made and under which process. There will be an investigation to see what went wrong - was it the screws fault or was more force placed on it than it was certified for.

Vs the one from the hardware store could have come from Alibaba and be a plastic core with a thin coating of metal for all you know.

Re: A $1k Wheelchair

#340

Post by pomatic »

tim333 wrote: post #322
permo-w wrote: post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it seems to be similar with hearing aids. I recently saw a video explaining that the new airpods will be usable as hearing aids. the video went on to explain that this will make them great value for deaf people as hearing aids can run into the thousands of dollars. I just checked and you can get hearing aids in my country for less than $100. so what's going on? I'm guessing this is either a non-problem, i.e. the expe…

My dad bought hearing aids that cost like £2000 (private, UK). The market here is kind of split between fairly mundane ones you can buy in shops for £100 or so (or free on the NHS) and fancy ones you get prescribed by an audiologist with computer sound processing that are more like £2000. My dad's never actually cracked his biggest problem which was if you are at a table with many people talking, picking out one conv…

Actually, it isn't that hard a problem technically, you just need a directional mic. I'm deaf, I have NHS issued equipment, and I have a specific setting that makes the mics more directional. Additionally (slightly off topic for the reply, but perhaps of interest) I also have the option of using a discreet wireless mic about the size of a pencap that I can give to presenters or pass round the table. Again, NHS issued, for which I'm very grateful.
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