tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350520886486749739.post6924914323451323786..comments2024-02-26T23:46:21.152-08:00Comments on Wheelchair Revolution! My life with the iBOT.: I had an iBOT accident todayShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02464489197254480767noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350520886486749739.post-17695509191003245102009-05-05T10:48:00.000-07:002009-05-05T10:48:00.000-07:00Don't use stair mode much anymore -- couple times ...Don't use stair mode much anymore -- couple times a month. Back in San Francisco, we used it 4-6 times a day to get in and out of the apartment. Always with an assistant.stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18134766859291227041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350520886486749739.post-90377016093897748172009-05-04T16:17:00.000-07:002009-05-04T16:17:00.000-07:00Interesting and good to know. Although, for me, I...Interesting and good to know. Although, for me, I don't really ever use the stair climbing function. It's just too scary. Does BR use the stair climbing function frequently?Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02464489197254480767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350520886486749739.post-56292938110509646812009-05-04T15:42:00.000-07:002009-05-04T15:42:00.000-07:00I wasn't there, so I can only guess ... They were...I wasn't there, so I can only guess ... They were going downstairs and the iBOT took an extra step instead of stopping in between steps. That ripped the assist handle out of the caregiver's hands, putting the chair into a forward free-fall.<br /><br />The rules appear to be:<br /><br /> * extra hard landing going up = lay the chair down<br /> * extra hard landing going down = extra step<br /><br />This all happened before we started blogging.stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18134766859291227041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350520886486749739.post-82178190485002106692009-05-04T14:37:00.000-07:002009-05-04T14:37:00.000-07:00Ouch about the broken nose. I bet both of you fel...Ouch about the broken nose. I bet both of you felt thankful that his injuries weren't worse though. Did you write about it on your blog? I didn't see it there. Did he fall out and the chair landed on top of him, or did it tip over forward?Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02464489197254480767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350520886486749739.post-89819915476801220582009-05-03T21:31:00.000-07:002009-05-03T21:31:00.000-07:00Sorry to hear about your accident, Shannon. My pa...Sorry to hear about your accident, Shannon. My partner BR has an iBOT. We've experienced the "shooting forward" effect when caught on something in balance mode, but never in standard mode. He doesn't spend much time in standard mode, though.<br /><br />Stair mode has always been the most dangerous for us. Hard landings, laying down flat, and BR was even dumped once when his caregiver lost control. Broke his nose and the chair ended up on top of him. We compare stair mode to riding a motorcycle. It takes skill, and yet even the best take a tumble from time to time.stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18134766859291227041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350520886486749739.post-4847139091056571012009-04-24T14:18:00.000-07:002009-04-24T14:18:00.000-07:00I'm not sure about the seatbelt. In this particu...I'm not sure about the seatbelt. In this particular case, it would have been good since the chair didn't tumble, but had it tipped over foward, I think it would be better if it threw me out of the chair rather than land on top of me. <br /><br />The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it was theory #1. Are all power chairs like this, or is it just the iBOT because it needs that extra power? I'm wondering if it could be designed so that it doesn't have that much power when it is in Standard Function? I'm also wondering if the iBOT manual warns about this stored up energy. I don't recall reading or hearing anything about this. <br /><br />I didn't know that the iBOT can't throw a wrench when in Standard Function. I was quite surprised when I got back in the chair and didn't see a wrench.Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02464489197254480767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350520886486749739.post-78222211386280301782009-04-24T09:02:00.000-07:002009-04-24T09:02:00.000-07:00Hi Shannon, your #1 theory is likely what occurred...Hi Shannon, your #1 theory is likely what occurred. Unfortunately, there will be no black box data, as bb is not available unless the device throws a controller failure/service wrench. These don't occur in Standard Function. As for the #1 theory, the energy stored up in the motors and wheels from joystick input will carry you forward once an obstacle is cleared. Try curb climbing and you'll see this reaction. It is this power which give the IBOT the ability to climb curbs and obstacles with a payload weight up to 250 lbs. I hope you quickly feel better, and try to remember the seatbelt. It may have helped.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com