ROWHEELS: NASA engineered wheelchair could be major challenge to the industry

ROWHEELS, a developer of innovative manual mobility tech, today announced the introduction of the ROWHEELS Revolution 1.0 – the world’s first production wheelchair to incorporate patented “pull-wheel” technology.

Designed and assembled in the USA, the competitively priced wheelchair will be sold directly to consumers as part of the vision of its new CEO, Gaurav Mishra, who joins ROWHEELS after leading global sales at medical technology giant Ottobock.

The brainchild of NASA engineer and wheelchair-user Salim Naser, ROWHEELS’ unique wheel design allows users to propel themselves forward using a pulling (or rowing) action rather than the traditional pushing motion.

ROWHEELS’ novel approach pulls the upper-arm away from the shoulder and is clinically proven to reduce the upper body pain suffered by up to 70% of traditional wheelchair users, caused by compression of the shoulder joint due to the pushing action. ROWHEELS also provides improved mobility, with a gearing system that makes it easier to go up inclines and traverse challenging surfaces.

Having sold its pull-wheels to wheelchair users across the world, ROWHEELS has proven the technology to be effective, leading the company to develop a complete wheelchair of its own. In a major shift of the company’s business model, ROWHEELS Revolution will be made available to users directly via the company’s online e-commerce platform, removing the delays users currently face in receiving their wheelchair and the high margins associated with the conventional reimbursement model.

“We have proven the pull-wheel concept and are now poised to disrupt a wheelchair market that is predicted to hit $5.4bn by 2022 and yet has changed little in the last 140 years,” said Mishra. “ROWHEELS Revolution gives wheelchair users a better option at an affordable price via an ecommerce platform that challenges the inefficiencies of today’s healthcare system.”

“With our ‘Ready to roll out of the box’ model, we provide a differentiated customer experience not yet seen in the industry, including ease of ordering, premium packaging and quick delivery,” added Mishra. “I believe we can lead the adoption of this innovative disruptive model across similar assistive devices and disability medical devices: cut the cost, pass the savings to the patients, facilitate shorter waiting times and deliver a great patient experience.”

The ROWHEELS Revolution will be available in October, pre-orders can be placed on the ROWHEELS web store starting at just $999.

ROWHEELS: NASA engineered wheelchair could be major challenge to the industry

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