Greek brothers invent a new wheelchair, changing lives of disabled people

Laddroller is a ground breaking invention by brothers Dimitrios Petrotos and Marios-Ermis Petrotos from Larissa, changing the lives of those who are restricted in mobility. This new product Laddroller is a ladder and roller in one, allowing disabled people in wheelchairs to stand and even helps them to climb up and down stairs.

It has received international recognition and very positive feedback from users who are now able to reach products on high shelves in  supermarkets, make money withdrawals at ATM’s and other everyday activities, which require you to stand.

“There are roughly 65 million people worldwide who are confined to wheelchairs and restricted by current wheelchair designs, even in environments specially designed for them. They live in an almost permanent sitting position without the ability to act in every day’s environment or to use tools that most people take for granted,” says Dimitrios and Marios.

Advantages to the user include more autonomy, enhanced social interactions and a series of health benefits that currently are provided exclusively by physiotherapists.

“We have taken a novel approach to wheelchair design: the laddroller (ladder + roller) is a hybrid of an exoskeleton with a powered wheelchair and is the only device that elevates the user by the motion of the wheels alone. Our design supports the user at any point in the range between the sitting and standing positions, without additional complicated mechanisms and operates easily from any position.”

The laddroller wheelchair provides full mobility in real world environments including those with curbs, gaps and rough terrain. It can be transported in the trunk of a car and can be operated even with the batteries drained as a manual one.

Priced at about half the amount of current standing wheelchairs, it is expected to achieve regulatory approval in Europe in 2017 and in the US in 2019.