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On Using Abled-Bodied Subjects in Wheelchair Propulsion Research – Erik Kondo
If you can walk in typical fashion, I would like you to imagine what it would be like to walk without having control of your trunk...
Jun 22, 20243 min read


Inappropriate Assistive Technology Disease (IATD) – Erik Kondo
We are all familiar with the stories of the amazing things that assistive technology (AT) enables people with disabilities to do. What is...
Jun 17, 20243 min read

Assistive Technology Performance Expansion/Compression – Erik Kondo
When people think about assistive technology (AT), they typically think about the benefit it provides. It has been well established that...
May 29, 20244 min read

DIY Urban Trike Wheel - Erik Kondo
There are a number of detachable trike wheels available to purchase for active wheelchairs. These devices typically cost about $600 or...
Apr 24, 20244 min read


Wheelchair Science: The Problem of the Not-a-Wheelchair-User, Part I – Erik Kondo
I have encountered a large number of manual wheelchairs users who are dissatisfied with the setup and function of their wheelchair....
Apr 17, 20242 min read


The DIY Trailwind - Max Fan and Erik Kondo
The purpose of the Trailwind is to provide power-assist for manual wheelchairs on rough terrain. It is NOT intended as full motorized...
Apr 6, 20245 min read

Cheap Wheelchairs Part III: Survival of the Cheapest – Erik Kondo
When we typically think of evolution, we think of “ survival of the fittest” , where evolution is the process of something getting...
Mar 26, 20245 min read

Cheap Wheelchairs Part II: The Throwaway Wheelchair Cycle – Erik Kondo
In Cheap Wheelchairs Part I , I discussed how the cheapest wheelchairs manufactured in China and sold wholesale on Alibaba.com are also...
Mar 21, 20243 min read


Cheap Wheelchairs, Part I: You Get What You Pay For - Erik Kondo
There are millions of manual wheelchair users in the United States. The majority are using standard manual wheelchairs. These wheelchairs...
Mar 16, 20243 min read


Wheelchair System Archetypes - Erik Kondo
Once you recognize that the mobility outcomes produced by a person using a wheelchair is the result of the interactions of a Complex...
Feb 13, 20245 min read


The Wheelchair System - Erik Kondo
The mobility performance of a person using a wheelchair is the result of the output of a complex adaptive system made up of the...
Jan 29, 20243 min read


The Tradeoff Between Wheelchair Comfort and Mobility – Erik Kondo
The primary purpose of a manual wheelchair is to provide mobility for replacing walking in the environment. The more active a wheelchair...
Jan 25, 20244 min read


Wheelchair Profiteering, Part VII: Here is How I Would Do it (If I had No Ethics) – Erik Kondo
Let’s imagine I own a large and influential wheelchair manufacturing company. And my goal is to make the most amount of money possible...
Nov 14, 20235 min read


Wheelchair Profiteering, Part VI: Exploring Solutions – Erik Kondo
Pointing out problems is fairly easy. Coming up with realistic solutions is much harder. So, lets take a look at a meaningful solution. ...
Nov 10, 20234 min read


Wheelchair Profiteering, Part V: Unneeded Upselling – Erik Kondo
Profiteering by Upselling Unneeded Assistive Technology This type of profiteering happens when the upselling is for items that the...
Nov 9, 20231 min read


Wheelchair Profiteering, Part IV: The Joy of Double Dipping – Erik Kondo
I am continuing on the theme from Part III which discusses how Ultra-Customization is used by the For-Profit Wheelchair Industry to...
Nov 9, 20232 min read


Wheelchair Profiteering, Part III: The Strategy of Ultra-Customization – Erik Kondo
In Part II , I expanded on the money making strategy of Ultra-Commoditization . While this strategy is effective, it pales in comparison...
Nov 7, 20236 min read


Wheelchairs Profiteering, Part II: The Wheelchair as a Widget – Erik Kondo
Let’s imagine that we own an industrial manufacturing company in China or some other industrialized country. We have excess manufacturing...
Nov 6, 20234 min read


Wheelchair Profiteering, Part I: How the For-Profit Industry Makes Money – Erik Kondo
There are two primary methods used by the For-Profit Wheelchair Industry to generate profits. They can be summarized as follows: 1. ...
Nov 2, 20234 min read


The Manual Wheelchair as a Personal Mobility Device – Erik Kondo
A few days ago marked my 39th year as a wheelchair user. That means for about 2/3rds of my life I have been using a wheelchair as my...
Oct 24, 20234 min read
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