13 replies to this topic

[Philly]

Hi all, I am a final year student studying product design and for my thesis I am designing and making a contemporary wheelchair that will hopefully alleviate some of the problems that you may encounter every day. If I could ask the users their feeling on some issues and ideas in a quick questionnaire that would be a great help.

If you could each quote/copy this post and insert answers to the following:
1. Age?
2. How long have you been a wheelchair user?
3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair?
Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.
3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair?
4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs?
5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position?
6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline?
7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground?
8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs?

Thank you very much for your participation.
I hope to be able to post some images of the final design if the users would be interested?
Regards, Phillip McKeown

[edlee]

Here ya go, Phil,

1. Age? 62

2. How long have you been a wheelchair user? 5 years

3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair? 3 to 6 years

Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.

3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair? very

4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs? not

5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position? not

6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline? maybe

7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground? not

8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs? Depends on insurance/medicare/medicaide


It sounds, from the questions, that you are talking about power chairs (#4,5,6,7). If so, more important would be, range, power/speed, maneuverability, overall size, terrain to be used on.

I suggest that you may need a bit more info than the above for a senior thesis. Good luck, anyway.
ed

[mjtpopus]

1. 32
2. 15 years this October
3. I've had 4 wheelchairs, so approximately every 4 years.
3. very
4. not
5. not
6. not
7. not
8. insurance is an issue.

If this is your senior thesis you might want to use more than just this survey as an instrument. You may want to ask what people like about their current chairs, more open ended. As my graduate professor warned me, the above questions are trying to measure "intangibles" which can't really be measured. Finding Opinion isn't going to really solve any problem or prove any hypothesis. You need to apply it to a question that can be measured with fact. Just my two cents.

[JesseB]

1. Age? 18
2. How long have you been a wheelchair user? 8 months about
3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair? no clue, 4 yrs or so?

Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.


3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair? very
4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs? maybe
5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position? maybe ( if it wasnt to.. bulky)
6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline? not
7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground? not
8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs? dunnoo..

[Philly]

Thanks for your feedback so far it is very much appreciated, just to allay your concerns about the length and specifics of the the questionnaire, I have already carried out an extensive survey of wheelchair users, which covers most of the suggestions mentioned. However, as paraplegic wheelchair users form the target market for this particular project I needed a more specific survey to gain an insight into your feelings towards these particular suggestions. Again, thank you very much for your cooperation and could I ask as many other users as possible to please take the time to reply, all feedback is graciously received.
Phillip.

[Travelling Blackbird]

1. Age? 35
2. How long have you been a wheelchair user? 11 years this summer.
3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair? Once every 3 to 5 years, depending on the model.
Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.
3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair? Not important.
4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs? Very desirable.
5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position? Maybe desirable.
6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline? Not important.
7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground? Not important.
8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs? $4000 is my upper limit. That's about as much as I can spend on a chair, given how often they need to be replaced.

One qualifier: I prefer a manual chair, and I wouldn't sacrifice maneuverability, manual control and so on just to have the ability to conquer stairs in a more dignified manner than on my ass. If the chair wouldn't go in the trunk of a car, go in the hold of a plane, and be portable to my friends, I probably wouldn't be interested. However, of all the things you mention, climbing stairs would be the most desirable, as I have to conquer a couple of flights a week in the course of my work, and it's getting tiring.

Yeah, I'm a dreamer who wants a manual chair that climbs stairs.

Edited by Travelling Blackbird, 22 May 2009 - 01:35 PM.

[Hikkakaru]

1. Age? 20
2. How long have you been a wheelchair user? 1.8 years
3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair? when needed. Probably 3-4, 4-5 years
Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.
3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair? Very important
4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs? Not important, Weight is an issue.
5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position? Not important, Weight is an issue.
6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline? Not important, Weight is an issue.
7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground? Not important, Weight is an issue.
8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs? As much as needed. Budget should NOT be an issue when trying to find something you must live with day in, day out.

With those answers, please realize I use a manual chair, and thus the functionality of a power chair(what most of the questions sound like they pertain to) isn't needed for me.

Thanks.

[HiltonP]

1. Age?
48

2. How long have you been a wheelchair user?
35 years

3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair?
15 years (manual), 10 years (power)

4. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair?
Important/desirable.

5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs?
Desirable, provided it was no larger, or heavier than my existing manual wheelchair.

6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position?
Not important/desirable to me.

7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline?
Not important/desirable to me.

8. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground?
Not important/desirable to me.

9. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs?
US$ 2000 (manual) US$ 6000 (power)

[blckchns]

1. Age? 29
2. How long have you been a wheelchair user? 3.5 years
3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair? Every 3 years
Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.
3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair? Very important
4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs? not important
5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position? not important
6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline? not important
7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground? not important
8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs? 3-7K US

[ETW Grumpy]

1. Age?
45

2. How long have you been a wheelchair user?
A year and a half

3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair?
No clue

Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.

3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair?
Important

4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs?
Not desirable

5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position?
Not desirable

6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline?
Not important.

7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground?
Not important.

8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs?
About $4000.


Let me add that I prefer a manual chair that lets me maintain my independence by being able to break it down and stow it myself.

[wheelywendy]

If you could each quote/copy this post and insert answers to the following:
1. Age? 32

2. How long have you been a wheelchair user? 11yrs

3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair? about every 3-5 yrs manual, 7-10 yrs electric

Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.

3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair? very important

4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs? not important (would be lovely but added cost would be out of my price range!)

5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position? not important but desirable (but if on manual chair added weight may be an issue)

6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline? not important

7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground? not important but very desirable (would be brilliant for playing with nephew, picking up after dogs in the street and great for camping and gardening etc etc

8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs? manual around £3000 electric max of £5000 but tend to buy secondhand electric as on very tight budget.

nb to me the most important feature of a manual chair is that its very light, easy to lift across into passenger seat from drivers seat, adjustability ie wheel positions, bucket, castor height etc and adjustable seating base and back support.
electric to me the most important features are battery range ie distance it will achieve on one charge., type of terrain it will cope with, speed (got to be min of 6mph pref at least 8mph)

Edited by wheelywendy, 27 May 2009 - 11:41 AM.

[wheeliebear75]

1. Age? 33
2. How long have you been a wheelchair user? 19yrs
3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair? every 3-10yrs
Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.
3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair? VERY
4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs? very
5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position? very
6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline? very
7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground?not very
8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs? (willing to & being able to get are two different price tags)

Just so you know though.....there are a couple models of electric wheelchairs that do the things that you're asking about (stairs reclining standing) already on the market.

[uoc]

Philly, on May 21 2009, 10:42 PM, said:

Hi all, I am a final year student studying product design and for my thesis I am designing and making a contemporary wheelchair that will hopefully alleviate some of the problems that you may encounter every day. If I could ask the users their feeling on some issues and ideas in a quick questionnaire that would be a great help.
Many thanks for choosing this subject, and good luck in the great world of research.

If you could each quote/copy this post and insert answers to the following:
1. Age? 29
2. How long have you been a wheelchair user? 6
3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair? every 4-5 years
Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.
3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair?very important
4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs?maybe important. The width is also important ;) Consider also the need of visiting a friend which doesn't have large doors. In the UE..public places have to be accessibled
5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position?very important - from rehabilitation point of view, this is also very important. It's aboput preserving the bone mass, muscle mass, blood pressure
6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline?very important
7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground?not important
8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs?if is about a manual it will be 3.000euro

Thank you very much for your participation. good luck again
I hope to be able to post some images of the final design if the users would be interested?ofcorse we are interested:)
Regards, Phillip McKeown

Maybe this topic is not very pleasant, but after I've become quadriplegic, i see it as a niche. The main problem is that being disabled is somehow equivalent as being poor. People with dissabilities have to spend money more carefully, because the medications, accessibled tools are expensive.

Let me give you an example. Dean Kamen has invented the iBotwheelchair[youtube video]. Unfortunately it wasn't a profitable business, but the system used balancing(iBalance) is the key to the Segway self-balancing electric vehicle[youtube video - Dean at TED]. Now, Dean just did that:[youtube video - you have to see it]

I'm also a engineer and being an engineer means to be creative and finding solutions to different problems. What else can be better than finding solutions which will improve the quality of life for the humans.

ps: you can PM anytime

Edited by uoc, 01 June 2009 - 12:29 PM.

[kate42]

1. Age? 17
2. How long have you been a wheelchair user? About 4 1/2 years
3. Roughly how often do you expect to replace your wheelchair? I don't know...I've replaced it once, and that was because I grew and my old wheelchair wasn't very comfy anymore. I don't think I'll be growing any more, so I have no idea. ;)
Please rate these statements as not important/desirable, maybe important/desirable, or very important/desirable.
3. How important is the look/appearance of your wheelchair? Very important
4. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could climb stairs? Maybe important
5. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could elevate the user to a standing position? Not important
6. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could recline? Not important
7. How desirable would it be to have a wheelchair which could lower the user to the ground? Not important
8. How much would be willing to spend on a wheelchair which meets your needs? I'm really not sure. Sorry.