Freedom in ‘life-changing’ wheelchair
Ben Lucas has one word to explain his new wheelchair: freedom.
Since he took delivery of the hands-free, motorised chair in December, things have changed for the Christchurch man.
‘‘Its been quite profound, the change. I can’t stop thinking of all the things I can do and will do now. It’s not an exaggeration to say this thing changes lives.’’
The chair that changed Lucas’ life is the Omeo, developed in O¯ taki on the Ka¯ piti Coast.
It differs from traditional wheelchairs because, instead of using their hands to turn the wheels, users lean forward to accelerate, back to brake, and side to side to navigate.
An off-road kit means it can navigate sand, gravel and bumpy terrain and, by freeing people from relying on their arms, it lets users do things that were previously impossible, like mow the lawns. Previously called the OGO and based on Segway technology, it has a top speed of about 20kmh and can travel about 40km before it needs to be recharged.
Lucas was injured 25 years ago and often had to prioritise events and outings dependant on his energy. Long-term wheelchair users started to suffer from shoulder issues about 20 years after their injury, he said. ‘‘My shoulders had been giving me trouble but now they’re fine.’’
Creator Kevin Halsall built the first chair to help a friend play sports after the pair met during a shared interest in field archery.
‘‘He struggled trying to do that and by the end of it he was absolutely shagged so, with him in mind, I started to develop something.’’ The design has been constantly tweaked over the past seven years but now the chair is ready for the world market.
‘‘Everyone who gets on it is amazed at how it feels. They can go to the beach for the first time in 20 or 30 years and they’ll be in tears,’’ Halsall said.
He now employs eight staff and has orders from New Zealand, and around the world. The Omeo has an international pricetag of US$17,000.