https://newmobility.com/not-a-wheelchair/
"Tanner Green is concerned about the tiny aluminum plugs left behind when you
cut 30 holes in the seat rail of a wheelchair. The cutting is done by an
enormous robotic laser controlled by a computer model. A tech feeds a 20-foot
aluminum tube into the machine, makes a few clicks on the computer, and the
machine gets to work, cutting the tube to length, 30 holes for the axle
adjustment, two channels for clamping in the footplate tubes and two etchings
to help line up the tube on the bending machine. Running at full speed, the
cutting takes just a couple of minutes.
It’s mesmerizing to watch. When the laser is done cutting, sometimes the
leftover material just falls out, but sometimes it stays in place. “Then, you
have to grab a screwdriver or some other tool and get them out yourself,” Green
says as he starts whacking and prodding at the just-cut seat rail. Some plugs
come out immediately, some are more stubborn. In all, it takes as long to get
all the plugs out as it took for the laser to make the cuts.
For Green, the chief engineer at Not a Wheelchair, this is one of the thousand
complications standing between his team and a rather lofty goal: upending the
manual wheelchair marketplace. If you’ve heard of Not a Wheelchair, it’s likely
because of its owners, Zack Nelson, the star of the 8.8-million-subscriber
YouTube channel JerryRigEverything, and his wife Cambry, a para and manual
wheelchair user. The Nelsons got into the mobility equipment business a few
years ago when they released The Rig, an electric, adaptive off-road device
with a simple yet robust and functional design priced significantly lower than
anything else on the market. Now, they’re bringing that same ethos to manual
wheelchairs.
Not a Wheelchair aims to offer a base-model, custom manual wheelchair at a
similar or better quality than most of the insurance-approved wheelchairs in
the U.S. for $999. Yes, that’s just under $1,000 for everything — wheels,
handrims, tires, side guards and rigid, angle-adjustable backrest included. And
the company plans to have a turnaround time of weeks, rather than the
monthslong slog that it typically takes from order to delivery.
When I first heard about this, it sounded awesome and a bit far-fetched. It’s
hard to find a pair of quality wheelchair wheels for less than $500. Same with
a rigid backrest. How were they going to offer both, plus a custom wheelchair
frame without compromising on quality? I drove to their headquarters in Utah to
find out."
Via
Fix the News:
https://fixthenews.com/276-nauseously-optimistic/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
