WheelchairDriver

They finally FIXED the Magic Mobility 4x4 steering! Now you can get a 4x4 off road scooter that actually drives properly judging by the vids. It uses front steer, servo controlled.

Programing will be a nightmare as it will be using the same setup as the myra/permobil servo control system.
But at least it steers the correct end and so finally if someone wants an off road 4x4 capable scooter with joystick steer control there is one I would actually take a look at!

Might even buy one. Great for photography or my grass airfield.

4 provisos.
1. It will murder batteries (esp off road). With 4 soft fat tyres and a lot of mass. So a 230Ah or bigger lithium setup (now costs the same as ONE lead brick so no big deal) is essential to be any real use. And saves weight too! And this thing is heavy.
2. And will be short on torque due to current limit of 110A per (linked) channel. So will NEED a cooling fan on the power module (trivial to do) to stand a chance of actual serious use.
3. It isnt a wheelchair, no tank steer, wont ever be anything but an outdoor device for getting around & steering like a small car. So its a scooter!
4. Servo controlled stuff is horrible to steer at speed as its servos are slower than my fingers and depending how much "lock" you applied and how far it needs to go to get straight again it adds variable response time. So to me at least feels like steering a RC car with 1970s very slow servos... Looking at the vids. But still WAY WAY better than that previous flopping side to side nonsense!!!

https://www.sunrisemedical.com/power-wh ... errain/xt4

Burgerman wrote:They finally FIXED the Magic Mobility 4x4 steering! Now you can get a 4x4 off road scooter that actually drives properly judging by the vids. It uses front steer, servo controlled.

Programing will be a nightmare as it will be using the same setup as the myra/permobil servo control system.
But at least it steers the correct end and so finally if someone wants an off road 4x4 capable scooter with joystick steer control there is one I would actually take a look at!

Might even buy one. Great for photography or my grass airfield.

4 provisos.
1. It will murder batteries (esp off road). With 4 soft fat tyres and a lot of mass. So a 230Ah or bigger lithium setup (now costs the same as ONE lead brick so no big deal) is essential to be any real use. And saves weight too! And this thing is heavy.
2. And will be short on torque due to current limit of 110A per (linked) channel. So will NEED a cooling fan on the power module (trivial to do) to stand a chance of actual serious use.
3. It isnt a wheelchair, no tank steer, wont ever be anything but an outdoor device for getting around & steering like a small car. So its a scooter!
4. Servo controlled stuff is horrible to steer at speed as its servos are slower than my fingers and depending how much "lock" you applied and how far it needs to go to get straight again it adds variable response time. So to me at least feels like steering a RC car with 1970s very slow servos... Looking at the vids. But still WAY WAY better than that previous flopping side to side nonsense!!!

https://www.sunrisemedical.com/power-wh ... errain/xt4

On the Extreme X8 only there is now a optional extra Steering Lock function that can be ordered.
NOT on the XT4 you linked to.
Keeps the steering locked while negotiating an obstacle.

Zero chance of you buying any Magic Mobility wheelchair. Would be 100% a wasted purchase as the terrain they are designed for is way out of your comfort zone.

The Magic Mobility wheelchairs are also expensive and I very much doubt you could negotiate a discount with them having a track record of falling in love with a chair, buying one, finding it unsuitable, then slagging it off at every opportunity for the rest of time.

On the Extreme X8 only there is now a optional extra Steering Lock function that can be ordered.
NOT on the XT4 you linked to.
Keeps the steering locked while negotiating an obstacle.

Which is a stupid idea only needed because its steering mechanism is free to flop about every time anything pulls on a wheel or you touch the joystic... Why would you WANT the steering "locked"?
The XT4 doesnt need that because its "locked" by the steerig servo in every position that you choose to go as you drive with much like a servo in a plane is.
Dont recall my car needing a steering "lock"...

Zero chance of you buying any Magic Mobility wheelchair. Would be 100% a wasted purchase as the terrain they are designed for is way out of your comfort zone.

You have no idea what my comfort zone is. And worse you have no idea what I would want one for. You seem to presume a lot.

The Magic Mobility wheelchairs are also expensive and I very much doubt you could negotiate a discount with them having a track record of falling in love with a chair, buying one, finding it unsuitable, then slagging it off at every opportunity for the rest of time.

You also have no idea about my finances. I can afford one right now. And I already discussed and obtained big discounts years ago direct with sunrise! So wrong again.

And I only slag off stuff thats crap. Which it then deserves. I am not a utube "reviewer or "influencer" that finds every product amazing...
Because I dont get paid to represent products or to "review" or push them or bullshit the viewers. I am not an "ambassador" for stuff. Secretly or obviously. So I can say whatever the hell I wish and I do.

The steering lock is just a push rod that locks the steering but still wobbles so bearings dont last long. Lithium is needed indeed! This winter I managed to take 100Ah in 1h by playing in the snow.
Wonder if I can upgrade mine to servo. Would be sooooooo much better.

Burgerman wrote:Which is a stupid idea only needed because its steering mechanism is free to flop about every time anything pulls on a wheel or you touch the joystic... Why would you WANT the steering "locked"?

It's impossible to go backwards without locking it. It'd just turn as the old models with no servo.

The servo steered one should steer just like your car but via joystick. The servo doesent (at least shouldnt *) allow the wheels to steer unless commanded. The older one was pants.

* not seen one in the real world just watched some vids.

Even this guy with terrible hand positioning has no trouble and probably stock programming too.


youtu.be/d4QYzBmucHQ

What's the difference between the X8 and XT4, mainly?

The XT4 has servo controlled steering so its wheels go where the joystick tells them to.
The other old and new 4x4 ones have a loose axle that drives or flops to full lock as soon as you try and steer or it sees some load or something. So they drive horribly.

That would have put me off ever buying one. But the XT4 one fixes that. Now it goes where you tell it.

I see. I wouldn't mind one!

Burgerman wrote:The servo steered one should steer just like your car but via joystick. The servo doesent (at least shouldnt *) allow the wheels to steer unless commanded. The older one was pants.

* not seen one in the real world just watched some vids.

Well, a servo has its limit. I suppose if you try to climb a rock or something, servo will struggle just like with RC cars. That thing is heavy...

Watch the vids. Goes exactly where its supposed to. Non of the previous nonsense at all. *Its a huge improvement. Took them 20 years though!

*Subject to the usual programming acceleration setting nonsense probably. With the same programability issues as he permobil/myra servo steered ones. But now at least the joystick completely controls the steering rather than the terrain doing it.

shirley_hkg wrote:
At 0:27 ,he was climbing a big stone with one wheel nice and easy, but he was reversing.

What is that implying ?

I think he's just demonstrating the capability in both directions. That's what I guessed.

I looked at these years ago. The chair sticks out so far in the back. It doesn't look like it does much in the video, but the one I looked at in person, did a lot. Possibly different seating arrangements or maybe an updated design so that it doesn't.

I would like to see a new one in person.