Blaze your own Trax Last May we took an in-depth look at the emerging field of track chairs. If you missed it, or have no idea what a track chair is, think wheelchair meets tank: big, powerful chairs, usually with treads to help you conquer the most unforgiving terrain. Based on the responses we got and the number of times I’ve seen people share cool pictures of the behemoth chairs online, it seems pretty clear that people dig them. In light of that, I want to add another — perhaps more practical — option: the Freedom Trax electric wheelchair track system. Unlike the track chairs we covered in May, Freedom Trax isn’t a chair, it’s an add-on that the company claims will attach to most manual chairs to turn them into mini-track chairs. As an attachment, the Freedom Trax can fit in a trunk or car and is much easier to transport than the larger track chairs. The company video shows users rolling on sand, snow and gravel — all notorious wheelchair obstacles. The device is $4,995 on the company’s website.
Launch a Rocket Off-Road If you’re looking for something more substantial to handle the outdoors, you may want to check out the Tomahawk. Made by Nebraska-based Rocket Mobility, the Tomahawk showed up on the track chair market after our May article. Weighing 420 lbs. with treads that would make a tank proud, the Tomahawk looks the part of badass-outdoor-vehicle — somewhere between power chair, riding lawnmower and tank. It has a footpan that can flip up or down, a roll bar and a unique joystick. Starting at just under $9,900, the Tomahawk is on the low end of the spectrum when it comes to the often pricey track chairs. The page you requested cannot be found. Many severely wounded veterans have lost the ability to experience activities they previously enjoyed – from hunting and fishing to simply going outside in their backyards. Wounded veterans who use The Independence Fund’s all-terrain mobility devices regain the ability to do the things they love, transforming their lives toward a better future.
If you think you have a knack for interior design, or just want to spruce up your own home, new technology developed by Cornell researchers may help you choose furnishings the way professionals do. And professionals may find it helpful, too.Given a photo of a chair, lamp or some other item, a new service will tell you who makes it and where to buy it, and show you pictures of how it might look in various rooms.“It seems a lot of people want to buy things they see in someone else’s home or in a photo, but they don’t know where to look,” said Sean Bell, a doctoral candidate in computer science. Bell and Kavita Bala, professor of computer science, describe their method for “learning visual similarity for product design” in a paper presented at the 2015 SIGGRAPH conference, held Aug. 9-13 in Los Angeles, and published in ACM Transactions in Graphics.The system relies on “deep learning,” a neural network that enables a computer to match a submitted photo with a vast database of “iconic images” from manufacturers’ catalogs or specialized websites devoted to home furnishings.
A neural network is a computer program inspired by the working of neurons in the human brain. As data is passed through the network, locations in memory that are activated repeatedly are increased in value, just as a biological brain forms synapses. “Deep learning” combines several layers of neurons that represent different aspects of the data - earlier layers typically represent edges and lines, middle layers represent parts and shapes, and later layers represent entire objects and concepts.The researchers used crowdsourcing to prepare a collection of images to train the neural network. On the Amazon Mechanical Turk service, where home workers can be paid a few cents at a time to perform simple microtasks, they showed workers scene photos and asked them to draw boxes around objects. The resulting collection of boxes, along with their matching iconic images, was used to train the computer.People using the service won’t want to wait for results. Rather than force the computer to go through the entire database looking for a match, the system begins by using the neural network to generate a “fingerprint” of a submitted image, based on very broad characteristics of how the pixels are arranged.
Then the computer can search just a local area of the database, analogous to searching for a phone number in just one area code. Bala and Bell have formed a startup company, GrokStyle, to offer the service on a subscription basis to retailers and design professionals, with support from the Small Business Innovation Research Program through which the National Science Foundation and other government agencies encourage the commercialization of new technology to advance the economy.“I’m excited by the importance of this for the design industry,” said Bala, who considers herself a hobbyist-level interior designer.In the future, the researchers said, similar systems might be developed for other kinds of products, such as clothing and fashion.ACCESS – An 18-year-old quadriplegic will get a new lease on his love for the outdoors with a special all-terrain wheelchair on tracks purchased by the Spokane-based Northwest Sportsman’s Club. Boone Bartlome of Kuna, Idaho, will be presented on Saturday with a battery-powered vehicle from Pennsylvania-based Track Chair company.
Bartlome lost his ability to walk after being injured in a high school football game. The club raised more than $15,000 for the highly mobile unit during its annual winter fundraising banquet. S-R columnist Doug Clark highlighted the effort in January. Jamie Belknap, a recent graduate from Eastern Washington University with a major in Early Childhood Education, organized the Track Chair portion of the fundraiser for the club. Belknap said she wanted to raise awareness for “the young athletes that were outdoors with their buddies at one time doing what most of us take for granted and now can’t even get on a dock to watch fishing” because typical wheelchairs have limited mobility.Chair lifts, also referred to as stair lifts, are designed to help people with disabilities get up and down staircases with relative ease. A track is placed at one side of the staircase, and a person sits in a powered chair that moves along the track between floors. There are controls on the chair, as well as call boxes on each level to move the chair to the user.
Indoor chair lifts are available in straight, L-shaped, and curved models for the different staircase styles. Additionally, homeowners should measure the length of the stairs to determine how much track they need. In order to mount chair lifts, buyers also need to purchase installation kits. Many chair lifts can be installed by homeowners, but curved styles generally require professional installation. Chair lifts and installation kits can be found at medical supply stores and on some commercial websites like eBay. The type of chair lift needed depends on the shape and placement of the staircase, with the exception of a wheelchair lift. Curved, straight, and L-shaped models are available for indoor chair lifts. Outdoor chair lifts are installed for people who have steps leading up to the front or back door. Wheelchair lifts are the only type of lift without a built-in seat since these lifts move both a person and a wheelchair from floor to floor. Buyers should only purchase chair lifts with foot rest sensors to detect objects on the stairs.
The chart below offers additional information about the various types of chair lifts that are available. Type of Chair Lift Straight chair lifts are designed for staircases that go straight up and down. These models are the most popular and, therefore, have many options and features. Straight chair lifts are readily available in electric (AC) and battery (DC) models, and they have options for left-handed or right-handed control panels. Straight chair lifts can usually be installed by homeowners. L-shaped chair lifts are essentially two straight models designed to fit together to fit a staircase with a 90-degree angle. L-shaped models are often more expensive than straight models, and they can often be installed by homeowners. Curved chair lifts are used in conjunction with staircases that have bends, curves, or odd angles. Because the track must be custom fitted to the staircase, curved chair lifts generally have to be installed by professionals. The custom nature of these lifts makes them the most expensive option.
Outdoor chair lifts are used on steps leading up to front or back doors. Since these chair lifts are meant to be outside, they are designed with weatherproof fabrics and durable parts that are capable of enduring the elements. These chair lifts should undergo routine maintenance and inspections on a frequent basis. Wheelchair lifts help individuals in wheelchairs get up and down stairs. There are options available with guard rails and tall side rails. People should only buy wheelchair lifts that are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition to choosing a chair lift that best fits a staircase, shoppers have the option of choosing AC-powered or DC-powered models. AC models, which are also called electric chair lifts, rely on the home's electricity for power, and if the power is off, the chair lift does not work. AC chair lifts are the least expensive option, and they are perfectly suitable in areas where the electricity is always reliable. DC chair lifts, or battery-powered chair lifts, are also plugged into the wall, but they have batteries installed that allow them to operate, even when the power goes out.
DC chair lifts cost more upfront, and the batteries have to be replaced every 12 to 18 months, which makes them the more expensive option. However, if a person completely relies on a chair lift for mobility, it might be best to invest in a DC-powered model. Before buying a chair lift, homeowners should measure the entire length of the staircase in order to buy the correct amount of track. Chair lifts are almost always anchored to the side of the stairs against the wall, not the banister and railing side. When purchasing a chair lift to install, buyers also need an installation kit and a manual. Although most chair lifts can be assembled using the same basics steps, it is important to consult the manual before beginning the installation process. All parts of the chair lift and installation kit should be removed from the packaging and separated. The lower track is the first piece to be installed. The first step is to lay the lower track along the length of the stairs. The brackets are then attached with the screws from the installation kit.
The chair lift could become stuck in the middle if the track is not laid evenly, so it is important to ensure it is level. Installers should look for the brackets that are designated for the top and bottom of the stairs. Once the lower track is bracketed to the wall, the call box wiring should be run under the track. Some models have clips underneath the track to secure the wires. The call boxes should then be secured in easy to reach places. Once the wiring and call boxes are installed, the upper track is aligned above the lower track. The base of the seat is placed between the upper and lower track, and the second set of brackets is attached with screws. The next piece of equipment to install is the chain and pulley mechanism. With the chair at the center of the track, the chain should be fed through the track, half on the left and half on the right. The power cable for the seat should be slid through the track slot. The cable moves in conjunction with the chair, so it is wise to ensure it does not jam.
The last piece of equipment to assemble is the seat to the base. Using the screws from the installation kit, the seat is put together with the user's size in mind. The screws must be fully tightened before having the user test the chair, and adjustments should be made after testing, if necessary. The power cable is then plugged into the end of the track and the electrical outlet. Once you have measured the length of the staircase and determined which model you need to install, it is time to begin your search for a chair lift in a medical supply store or on the Internet at a site like eBay. On eBay, be sure to check in both the auction section and in eBay Stores to view the largest selection of options. Type in either "chair lift" or "stair lift" to see a broad range of results. Include additional keywords to narrow the results. For example, "Acorn stair lift" is a good start, but "Acorn stair lift 120" narrows the results even more. For additional help producing the best results, look at eBay's Search Tips page.
eBay allows buyers to custom sort their results, which means bargain hunters can arrange results from lowest price to highest price. eBay even factors in shipping charges to ensure customers are seeing accurate prices. Because a chair lift is a physically large item, shipping costs can significantly increase the overall price, which means sorting by distance from the seller in order to arrange item pickup might be a good idea. After you have found a chair lift that fits your needs and budget, there are a few more steps to complete before making a bid or purchase. Read the item listing in its entirety, including the terms and conditions, to determine if the seller offers a money back guarantee or an exchange policy in case there are issues with the lift. Next, take a moment to look into the seller's eBay history, and pay close attention to his or her approval rating and feedback score. Only buy from sellers with a high rating and positive comments. For a quality buying experience, look for one of eBay's top-rated sellers.
Identifying icons are located next to sellers' usernames. Chair lifts make it possible for people with disabilities or trouble walking up a flight of stairs to live in two-story homes. With the exception of curved chair lifts, chair lifts can usually be installed without professional help. Buyers need to make sure they get installation kits along with the lifts in order to successfully complete the process. Before installing a chair lift, homeowners must measure the length of the staircase in order to purchase the correct amount of track. Although all chair lifts are a moderate investment, AC chair lifts are typically less expensive than DC chair lifts. DC-powered lifts, however, are always capable of working, even when the power goes out in a house. Chair lifts are not toys, and they should not be used for fun. Users should keep children away from lifts and unplug them when they are not in use. Buyers can find everything they need, from chair lifts to replacement parts to installation kits, at specialty medical supply stores and at online marketplaces, such as eBay.