What is this?

[Paulus]

I saw this beast the other day outside the Westfield centre in Stratford.
I have looked at it from many angles and I still can't see how it would be ridden. There was no owner around to ask.
It looks like some kind of electric unicycle recumbent.
Ideas please.

 

[JonBuoy]

https://www.sunrisemedical.ca/manua.../sports-wheelchairs/attitude/product-features

 

[Paulus]

I get it now. A wheelchair attaches to it.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

https://www.sunrisemedical.ca/manua.../sports-wheelchairs/attitude/product-features

Thats a new one on me.

 

[KnittyNorah]

A bloke who lives near me, who I see sometimes on the Guild Wheel, uses something similar. The rear end is some sort of lightweight engineered wheelchair but the front end is like a trike/handbike. But I think the electric assist is mounted underneath somewhere.

 

[a.twiddler]

From the link, it seems to be designed as an add on for one of their own brand wheelchairs. If it's a simple attachment it seems to give the user the benefit of a lightweight wheelchair for general use plus the option of a boosted semi self powered mobility scooter for longer trips. It would assume that the user had good upper body strength and movement to start with, and would help to develop and maintain that. It seems to be a good use of the technology, though it would be interesting to have feedback from a user about its effectiveness in real life situations. It looks like it might be a bit cumbersome to get on a train, for example, apart from the batteries-on-trains restrictions that some train operators have.

 

[KnittyNorah]

The bloke near me who has one, uses it locally for 'walking' his dog on the shared-use paths (inc. Guild Wheel & Lancs Canal towpath) of which there are many miles round here. He has different chairs for eg going into town, taking on hols, in his car etc, but reckons none of them, whether powered or not, are much use anywhere hilly. Good job it's relatively flat round here.