I went to a local mobility vendor yesterday, to try out a Segway chair conversion (the Blumil one, reviewed in another post). The vendor also had one of the new Whill Chairs (
http://www.whill.us) that's just hit the market over here in Trumpland. I was able to give it a test drive, so here are my first impressions, for any who may be interested.
The chair was developed by "automotive engineers" and focuses on ergonomics and style. It's got trick front casters that don't turn, instead each caster "wheel" is comprised of 24 mini wheels that allow the chair to move in any direction. This keeps the front of the chair very compact, because the casters can be brought inboard very near the footplate.
Compactness was clearly a design priority, because the chair feels small, but in a good way. Your head will hit the wall in the rear at the same time the rear wheels do. Overall length is 35-39", depending on footplate placement. Width is a very manageable 23.6". The chair turns within it's own diameter.
Even so, my 6'1", 13 Stone (180 lb) frame was very comfortable. The highly adjustable seat and backrest are extremely supportive. That said, this isn't really a chair for people with complex rehab needs. Positioning options are fairly limited, beyond what is offered by the height and reach adjustability of the seat/back.
Control is via three stage speed control on the left arm pod (slow/faster/fastest) and steering on the right (a flat rectangular "mouse-like" joystick or optional "thumb and finger" stick). There is no display screen, because the chair comes with an iPhone companion app (an Android app is apparently under development) that controls all major functions. Much like normal power-chair programmers, the app allows the control of "all chair parameters" from seat adjustment to turn rate, acceleration, deceleration, speed increments, joystick sensitivity and more. I didn't get a chance to tweak more than a few items, but sliding everything over to "50" (the top setting on the 0-50 scale) made the chair much sprightlier. I suspect there may be a "51-100" option hidden somewhere, though the vendor denied it. The app also allows the chair to be driven by remote control, via bluetooth.
Subjectively, the chair drove well. It started, stopped and turned instantly on command. Everything felt very direct, with no discernible delay between input and response. The chair hasn't been approved by the FDA yet; no doubt the models ultimately available via insurance/Medicare will come with sluggish performance and an app that only lets you change the colors of the tail lights. I'm only half joking: the regulators have already made the manufacturer add armrests to the product, even though it doesn't need them and compromises the purity of the design.
I was able to drive the Whill over some uneven terrain (a grassy, hilly park area) and it behaved well, pulling strongly up a 10% grade and handling bumpy ground with ease. The magic casters handled 4" curbs fine and the chair pulled itself up strongly. I didn't try it on sand or wet ground, which would have been a better test of the chair's 4-wheel-drive system. In any case, the narrow wheels would probably sink in anything much soggier than damp grass.
The Whill has a top speed of 5.5 mph, which is nothing to get excited about, but the quick acceleration makes the chair feel faster than it is. The agile and responsive steering adds to the sensation of speed.
Aesthetically, whether the chair appeals visually is a subjective decision. I quite like it. In person, it looks modern and sleek, more like a cool recreational vehicle from the future than a ponderous "wheel chair." The arm pods are low and the joystick protrudes less than an inch, so it's very easy to get in close to tables and desks. The lack of multiple buttons and display screen gives it a clean functional look. Again, more like a "lifestyle" product than a life support machine.
The big (and I mean big) drawback of the Whill is that it uses lead batteries. Yes, you read that right. I couldn't believe it when I read it on the Whill site. It's like opening the bonnet of a Tesla and finding a steam engine inside. You just don't expect Jurassic tech to be at the heart of something so self-consciously 21st Century. The result is everything you'd expect: 12 mile range, 5.5 mph top speed, 6 month battery warranty (I wonder why). Bleh.
I emailed customer service today, asking if they had a lithium model in the pipeline. They responded within an hour (they seem very good), saying that they went with lead to comply with FAA regulations (presumably despite the fact that lithium powered chair can be made to comply with FAA regulations quite easily) and that, no, they don't have plans to use lithium in future. I responded by asking if it is possible to use lithium in place of the lead batteries (to at least get a bit of the range and longevity benefits). I'll let you know what I find out.
One other quibble with the chair is that it is largely made of plastic. This no doubt keeps weight down, but the demo model was showing signs of damage (even though the vendor has only had it for a week or two). If you're like me and use your chair to wedge doors open while your feeble arms scrabble for purchase, the Whill is not a good choice. It would be scratched, dinged and scraped to hell within a few days. Given the Whill is all about sleekness and style (the iPhone of wheelchairs, as some have dubbed it), it wouldn't be long before you're driving around in an iPhone with a cracked screen. Not cool.
In summary, the Whill is a chair with great promise. It looks very well made and felt good to sit in and drive. The "automotive engineers" certainly captured that nice feeling of slipping behind the wheel of a new car. The tech is advanced but discrete (the front casters feel like normal casters, just not wobbly and they don't catch on things) and the whole package works well. The lead batteries and plastic construction, however, put this firmly into the "wait 'til the next generation" category.
For any still interested, the Whill retails in the US for about $11k.