this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2024
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[–] [email protected] 79 points 3 months ago (3 children)

I could see this being useful. Not everyone who uses a wheel chair is paralyzed. Some have balance issues, or limited strength. Dividing the effort between arms and legs could give increased independence and it would be more ergonomic than scooting with the feet like a lot of people end up doing in wheel chairs.

Sure, it's not super different from a recumbent bike (and seems to lack a steering mechanism) but if the pedals could be folded out of the way it could be easier for a person with mobility issues to get in and out of.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It's not necessarily about usefulness but rather quantity and economics of scale.

The number of people needing wheelchairs in the first place is pretty small compared to the population, and adding the additional caveat of those that can still use their legs fully to power what is effectively a bicycle, results in a venn diagram with an extremely tiny use case.

The cost of a decent basic wheelchair (not AliExpress/Walmart shit) is already high. Adding the complexity of a bicycle on top of that just makes it more expensive. And then there's insurance which almost certainly would tell you to kick rocks before they would even think of covering a fraction of the cost because it isn't necessary.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This is literally why those silly "as seen on TV" product commercials makes sense. You know, the ones where ordinary looking people seem super, incompetently incapable of doing normal everyday tasks. The snuggie sure seems stupid... Until you realize it it's meant for people who are disabled with mobility issues. Then it makes complete fucking sense. Most of those things were designed for disabled people, but that's a really small market to appeal to, so they broadened their market in order to make the things affordable to the actual target demographic.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

I met a guy while I was working at Amazon whos dad bought a couple snuggies for hunting and overnight drives, and apparently his elderly disabled grandma who just didnt watch tv claimed half of then. This was apparently in the mid to late 2000s. Also according to him his grandmother wasnt a ludite his grandpa ran a movie and videogames rental place, and had built a whole as mini threatre in their living room.

Also according to him his grandma liked halo 2 and kicking his ass in smash melee.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Maybe this is a picture of some real hospital equipment? I didn't check for pixels.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

It looks real, the top left poster reads "bone decalcification". However it seems that it's only for braking.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I think wheelchairs with a gear system and electric propulsion

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

You just increased the price by at least 100x for only double the production cost.

[–] [email protected] 57 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I once suggested a similar project at our company. One of our products is labelled in braille. For technical reasons it was the easiest way to drill holes in the front plate and stick a transparent plastic insert through from the back.

My suggestion was to add a few blue LEDs behind it to light up those braille dots. It would have been meaningless for the intended user - but it would have looked way cool!

[–] [email protected] 39 points 3 months ago (4 children)

I often think of this sign I saw at a small children's playground with braille on it hung 6 feet in the air with no way to reach it. Braille printed on a sign posted too high to reach.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I think of the sign that says "hot surface do not touch" with accompanying braille.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

Yep. That one was made by a guy who made all kinds of warning plates for their plant, and legal & corporate requirements were that every sign has to have braille on it. I don't think the department requesting that sign from their sign-making-department had this on their screens...

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago (1 children)

There's also no way for someone who needs Braille to actually DO the "puzzle". The other words don't have Braille, the map appears to be flat. Terrible design.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Nah the black parts of the sign are recessed. You can see from the lighting.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Still, there should be Braille for the text too.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

Surely they could have made that a little more challenging than having a straight line?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Maybe the builder just mounted the panel the wrong way? It serves as a wall for the platform behind it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

There's a different printing on the other side too.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I'd like to think of that as supplementary design.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

They exist, but the pedals are higher, for your arms! I used to work with a guy who did this: every day at lunchtime he’d go zooming around the parking lot getting a good workout in

https://bike-on.com/product-category/shop-handcycles/attachable-handcycles/

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I'm an able-bodied handcyclist. Not a wheelchair attachment, but a dedicated handcycle. I've been riding one for over 20 years now. I alternate riding it and riding a leg-powered bicycle. Cycling and hiking are the only exercises I will religiously stick to. I realized that my upper body was being neglected and gave a handcycle a shot.

They are super fun and a great workout. I prefer my handcycle rides tremendously over my to eg-poweted bicycle rides (but I can't skip leg day). I highly recommend trying out a handcycle to anybody who thinks they may be interested.

If you're in the Los Angeles area, and are interested in trying one out, message me. I love introducing folks to handcycles and live down the block from a bike path. I even have a couple for sale that I'd let go at a very reasonable price if anyone wants one. I just don't want to ship them.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

I’m definitely curious, but opposite coast

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This better not be like the last time someone on the Internet invited me to come visit them in a strange city if I was curious about trying hand stuff.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

took scrolling to this comment before I understood OPs joke.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

I mean, there are people who need a wheelchair but are still able to use this.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago

It took me longer then i want to admit to realise why this is a bad idea

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago

Honestly, this might be good for use as a therapy device for people that perhaps have weak arms and legs and perhaps cannot stand up. Dividing the work required in this way has some merit to at least be studied or researched, if it hasn't already.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Gotta have a 100 bad ideas before you discover a good one.

Like what if you added hand pedals?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

Like what if you added hand pedals?

You'd be late, already exists.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

They is surely people whose handicap allow to use their legs but not to stand up. Come to think of it, I know some people who are this way.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Even assuming use of your legs, you can't steer this

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

It's a project. It might not be finished yet.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I have this meme in my roll and I've been scared to post it lmao

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Worried about people's reaction?

I frequently save memes in my ever-growing folder, then skip them at the last moment because I worry the audience here might think it's over the line. This one seems to have landed though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Could be a good barometer.

Maybe slightly spicy to those close to wheelchair users, maybe - but doesn’t punch down at all, just good natured fun.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

Recumbent bikes are a thing. That is basically this

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

I was like: wow this is actually genious... oh.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)
  1. You need to cover the chain for safety during operation.

  2. You need foot straps and side leg protectors/support.

Could this possibly exercise leg and foot muscles of people with no lower mobility due to spinal/nerve injuries?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

To qualify for a wheelchair under American insurance, you have to be unsafe to use a walker or cane for mobility, be primarily wheelchair bound (need person to help transfer you or have enough upper body to transfer yourself), etc. Most patients I think of that I discharge with a wheelchair would not be able to use this device...

For those that can use something like this, there are so many micro mobility things out there. As someone pointed out recumbent bicycles already exist.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago