To improve the mobility and autonomy of users of manual wheelchairs, the Lille startup Eppur has designed Dreeft, a braking system adapted to this means of transport.
This is a reality experienced by all users of manual wheelchairs. To slow down the movement of their means of transport, they must use their hands to grasp the handrail, the hoop attached to the wheel of the chair. A challenge when it comes to tackling a descent or when the ground is wet. Above all, this process is a source of discomfort since it causes burns and requires significant efforts from the upper body.
It is from this observation that the startup Eppur invented a braking system which allows you to decelerate without injury. “The solution we have developed is called Dreeft. It is a pair of wheels that can be installed on any manual wheelchair and which replaces the original wheels”, explains Lancelot Durand, General Manager d’Eppur, at Tech&Co this Wednesday, January 25th.
The braking system is integrated in the hub connected to the wheel. To activate it, the user must slightly pull the wheelchair handrail, which remains fixed, backwards. This solution also has the benefit of dividing the effort required by five, says Lancelot Durand.
An alternative to electric wheelchairs
For good reason, according to Eppur, 35% of manual wheelchair users suffer from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the shoulder after six months of using them. In particular because of the fact that they have to propel themselves or that they are sometimes forced to move their chair.
According to the general manager of Eppur, many of the startup’s customers are complete or incomplete quadriplegics. And these individuals usually have difficulty gripping their hands. However, “all these people want to stay in a manual wheelchair and not go electric. We are providing them with a solution that can help some of them”, says Lancelot Durand.
