There are few ways to motorize a manual wheelchair, by attaching some devices. A manual wheelchair can be transformed and motorized by devices such as InMotor, Alber E-Pilot Handbike, Permobil SmartDrive, and Invacare SMOOV One power add-on kit.
Wouldn’t it be great to turn your manual wheelchair into a motorized one by yourself without paying any extra dollars for a new electric wheelchair?
But is it really possible to transform your manual wheelchair into an electric one? We had the same question and after a lot of research here is what we learned.
Manual wheelchairs are the most used wheelchair and probably the one which everyone starts with, there is a perfect choice for someone who is young or active and has a high amount of energy to control the wheelchair most of the time.
To know how you can transform your manual wheelchair into a motorized one please continue reading this article.
Why convert a manual wheelchair into a motorized one?
Manual wheelchairs are also preferred because they are lightweight, and are easily foldable, making them ideal for transportation and travel.
However, if it is used for travel purposes it may cause some problems for its user as different places have different types of surfaces and some outdoor terrains like steep inclines and rough surfaces which the user is not used to operate on may bring a lot of challenges for him or her.
But transforming your manual wheelchair into a power wheelchair as per your need will solve all these problems for good.
How to transform and motorize a manual wheelchair?
Four ways to easily transform your manual wheelchair into a motorized one are:
1. InMotor-1
It is a newly invented mobility device, an auxiliary power device that can be easily attached to any manual wheelchair to turn it into an electric wheelchair.
You don’t have to buy a new separate electric wheelchair for outdoor or travel purposes with the InMotor, your wheelchair can become an electric wheelchair.
Once it is installed you can use your manual wheelchair manually till you feel comfortable but once you don’t feel like controlling it manually you can simply attach your InMotor to make it electric and use it accordingly.
It consumes a decent amount of power with its simple operating controls for easy and longer mobility.
It has 3 parts: The Main Body is the Motor with Connecting Buckle which attaches to the manual wheelchair, Connecting Rail, and remote control to help you control the wheelchair electronically.
To use it you need to follow the manual instructions provided within the box. Still to give you a gist here are the steps you will need to make your manual wheelchair electric.
First, attach the connecting rail to the back of your manual wheelchair. The rail is adjustable, so you can adjust it as per the height of your wheelchair.
Then put the wheelchair frames with lengths between 35cm – 49cm(Ideal recommendation). After you have completed these steps, connect the main body of the motor with the connecting rail and then the connecting buckle.
Put the remote control where it suits you the most, preferably on the armrest of your wheelchair.
Now your manual/electric wheelchair is ready. Once it is fully charged it can travel up to 20-25km, the charge also depends on the usage of the wheelchair if it is being used on a smooth or flat surface it can work longer than usual while if it is used on an inclined or uneven surface, the charge may be fed off early.
2. Alber E-Pilot Hand bike
The second way to turn your manual wheelchair into a motorized one is by attaching a hand bike like the Alber E-Pilot Handbike.
The Alber e-pilot hand bike transforms a manual wheelchair into a wheelchair that can be controlled like you are driving a bike. It looks very classy and sporty and you can alternately use your wheelchair manually or motorized as per your need.
All you need to do is attach the e-pilot hand bike, connect it with your smartphone, and access all the features through your device like the speed, start, and brake.
It comes with a lithium-ion battery which can go 50km once fully charged. With the strong front wheel feel free to move as per your desire and move through any obstacle freely.
The maximum weight that it can carry is 100kg and can climb up to 10% slanted surface with a braking capacity of 15%. The speed of this hand bike is between 0.5-20 km/h and the total range is up to 50km. It comes in different colors, so feel free to choose the one you like.
3. Permobil SmartDrive
The third way to transform your manual wheelchair into an automatic one is through Permobil SmartDrive.
The SmartDrive is a device similar to the InMotor. It gives you the freedom to move as you want as it’s very light, you won’t even notice that a device is attached to your wheelchair.
It comes with a PushTracker BLUETOOTH® wristband to help you operate the wheelchair. The wristband creates a seamless experience for you as it can help you control the device and all its functions like the mounting location, the ergonomic handle, and the OmniWheel.
As per the technical part of the device is concern the range it can move is up to 20 km with a maximum speed of 5.5 mph. The motor attached to it has a Power of 250W Brushless DC. On top of all these, it can easily carry users weighing up to 150 kg.
It is one of the easiest ways to motorize a manual wheelchair.
4. Invacare SMOOV One power add-on kit
The fourth way to turn your wheelchair into an automatic one is through Invacare SMOOV One power add-on kit.
This is one of the latest inventions made keeping in mind the need of people wanting to convert his/her manual wheelchair into a self-controlled motorized one. This amazing add-on offers its user additional power and incredible performance.
It is easy very to install and can run at a speed of 10km/h once fully charged. It is operated with the help of a Bluetooth device that comes with the kit and can be easily attached to the wheelchair.
The charger which comes with the INVACARE SMOOV ONE POWER ADD-ON KIT is very easy to use and handy, as it only needs a USB-C socket for charging making it ideal for anyone who is always on the go.
It has a very special feature through which it can maintain a constant speed with just one single push without any disturbance. Once this device is installed it can travel up to 20km distance in one go.
We hope you have understood how you can use Invacare SMOOV One power add-on kit to motorize a manual wheelchair.
Also Read: How To Make A Stair Climbing Wheelchair At Home?
The Bottom Line
I hope we have helped you understand how you can transform and motorize a manual wheelchair. There are some of the devices which are easily available in the market one.
Find out which one suits you the best and enjoy your new motorized wheelchair.
