Definition

Electric personal assistive mobility devices are power-assisted devices for mobility such as wheelchairs, scooters, and more recent innovations such as the Segway™ Human Transporter. These devices make everyday life easier for someone who is partially or completely immobile.

Description

Currently there are approximately 160,000 people who use electric powered wheelchair and scooters in the United States alone. Of these, some 100,000 utilize wheelchairs and 60,000 use powered scooters. As baby boomers become senior citizens and mobility becomes more of a concern for this large population, the market for these aids is expected to increase. Industry estimates show the powered assistive device market as growing by about 7% each year through 2007. By 2007, sales of manual- and electric-powered wheelchairs and powered scooters is estimated to be $2.7 billion in the United States.

Wheelchairs