Power Wheelchair - steering

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I will try to describe caster jerk.

I will start off by saying that I have spent some time in a Quantum Q6 Edge, but have no time in the Stretto. However, both are mid wheel drive chairs and probably have similar driving characteristics.

I have also spent many hours in other mid wheel drive wheelchairs. I now own 3 front wheel drive, 1 rear wheel drive, and 1 four wheel drive wheelchairs.

I find that mid wheel drive wheelchairs have the tightest turning radius, but for me are the most difficult to control precisely.

Your mid wheel drive wheelchair has 6 wheels: The two drive wheels, two front caster wheels, and two rear caster wheels.

Often, when the wheelchair comes to a stop, the wheelchair's caster wheels are not lined up with the direction the wheelchair will next move in. This can happen with any caster wheel and is a bit of an issue on front and rear wheel drive wheelchairs. I have found it to be a much more pronounced issue on the mid wheel drive wheelchairs I have tried.

The result is that when you next start moving the wheelchair, one or more caster wheels will jerk around as necessary given the new direction of travel. When the caster(s) jerk, the entire wheelchair can lurch in an unanticipated direction. With practice, the lurch and direction of the lurch can be anticipated much better. These lurches are a key ingredient to damaged walls:).

I hope that description helps a bit. It is easy to demonstrate and is obvious when it happens. Howerever, it is a but cumbersome to try to describe in text.

Steve
 
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