150kg
The Permobil SmartDrive is a lightweight power-assist device designed to attach easily to most manual wheelchairs, dramatically reducing the effort needed to self-propel. It gives users more freedom, endurance and independence by providing intuitive motorised support that can reduce pushing effort by up to ~80%. Built for everyday use and active lifestyles, SmartDrive helps users navigate uneven surfaces, ramps, long distances and crowds with less strain on the upper body, lowering the risk of repetitive-strain injuries. Key features: Power assist for manual wheelchairs: Works with most chair types to amplify propulsion and make mobility easier. Intuitive control options: Wearable controls (e.g., smartwatch compatibility) and wired devices provide flexible, user-centred operation. Lightweight & compact: Designed to integrate seamlessly without excessive added bulk. Enhanced mobility: Improves access to daily activities and extended travel with reduced fatigue. Ideal for manual wheelchair users who want to extend their range, reduce physical effort, and maintain an active lifestyle, the SmartDrive offers a highly adaptable power-assist solution with proven performance and ergonomic design.
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SmartDrive belongs to a specific class of power-assist — a single powered roller mounted under the rear axle — and it is chosen for what it does *not* add. Most power-assist devices bolt something to the front or the wheels: a throttle, a handlebar, a joystick, a set of heavier powered wheels. Each of those changes the chair's footprint, occupies a hand, or complicates transfers. SmartDrive leaves the chair's geometry, width and appearance untouched, and it is controlled through the client's own pushrim gestures with a wearable band rather than a mounted control. The client pushes to engage and taps to stop; between inputs their hands are free. The justification to lead with is shoulder preservation. Repetitive manual propulsion is a well-documented contributor to rotator cuff and biceps tendon pathology in long-term wheelchair users, and it is worst on the tasks a power-assist takes over — ramps, long distances, carpet and thick pile. When a shoulder fails, an independent manual user typically loses transfers as well as propulsion, and the downstream cost of that is far greater than the device. Preventing it is a fundable clinical goal, not a comfort argument. Two checks at assessment. The client needs the hand function to make the pushrim gesture and operate the band — where that is impaired, a wheel-drive add-on with joystick control is the alternative. And mounting compatibility depends on frame type and axle position, so confirm it against the client's actual chair rather than the model name. Permobil have released more than one generation of this device. Confirm the current model and its compatibility list before quoting.
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Product detail
Everything needed to justify this equipment in an NDIS, DVA or Home Care Package report.