Public Funding for Freedom One Life Limited

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant wheelchair users being confined to their homes and having freedom severely restricted when out and about. Around 30% of users rely on powered wheelchairs to get around, even in the home. Before COVID-19 many wheelchair users already faced delays in obtaining their chair with 70% waiting more than 3 months. Since the pandemic, this situation has become significantly worse as supply has been limited through manufacturing closures and socially distanced working practices. Some of the biggest concerns of users are around wheelchair break down and short battery life that would cause them to become stranded or isolated. Wheelchair design and technology has remained unchanged for around 25 years, supplying chairs which are unreliable, require frequent servicing and parts replacement and which are not environmentally friendly. FreedomOneLife delivers radical change to the powered wheelchair market. We have spent the past 5 years developing a disruptive and innovative solution to improve performance, reliability, efficiency and aesthetics. Our technology will increase user confidence and stretch the boundaries of powerchair performance and reliability. Our Series 5 design uses the latest sustainable innovative components for batteries, motors and control units, for improved efficiency, extended battery life and combines this with a robust, modern design. Our powerchairs could future proof users against breakdowns, long waits for parts and bring confidence that their mobility will be preserved in any future pandemic scenario. Our chairs are also easier and swifter to manufacture and could bring innovation to the industry ensuring production even during socially distanced conditions. In order to access our target market, we need certification as a Class 1 medical device. We were at the point of commencing testing when the COVID-19 lockdown hit. This project will undertake the complex electrical and mechanical tests needed to create the required technical file for medical device classification. We will work with a supply chain partner to establish a cost-effective manufacturing base from which to supply chairs to distributors across Europe who are waiting to place orders.

Freedom One Life is developing next-generation wheelchair electronics, targeted at solving the most common failure points of existing power wheelchairs. Wheelchair electronics systems are one of the most unreliable parts of power wheelchairs, the designs have not changed in 25 years and they rely on constant maintenance and servicing. producing waste in the form of damaged or used parts. Service engineers spend a great deal of time travelling to often the same users that have constant issues. This project is intended to enable us to take the entire wheelchair electronics system design in house. This allows us to strengthen its supply chain by gaining control of the supply of vital high-cost components, enhancing the quality of products supplied by ensuring they are made to rigorous in-house quality standards befitting a medical device. The cost of goods is also reduced. What this means for the user is greater confidence in their chair, as well as more independence and mobility. Due to the increased reliability developed in our product compared to conventional powerchairs, there will be much less waste from parts having to regularly be replaced. There will also be less resource use as time and fuel spent travelling to repair repeat issues will be significantly reduced. Our business model disrupts the current norm of constant maintenance which leads to greater sustainability. Strengthening of supply chain and lower cost of manufacture are significant advantages to overcoming the issues caused to our business by COVID-19, and it allows us to offer a solution that benefits equality, diversity, inclusion and sustainability.

The purpose of this project is to obtain professional legal assistance to file and prosecute a patent application to protect the electronics component of our wheelchair design. Freedom One Life Ltd. was created to design, produce and manufacture a new generation of power wheelchair. Our USP’s include: Practical for public and private transport, weighing less than half the 180kg weight of current power wheelchairs. Minimum 48 hours lithium battery life and built in, internationally compatible charging. Compared to 2-4 hours per charge of full use and an external charger. Energy, weight and space efficient ergonomic design, maximising resources in the smallest dimensions possible to deliver power, torque, speed, range and manoeuvrability. Current wheelchairs are cumbersome and large, making them hard to manoeuvre. Direct customer service, online support and of access to affordable parts with fast delivery and DIY capability. Compared to having to use dealers to source expensive parts, also having to pay expensive call out fees for any kind of repair or service. Our product harnesses modern technology and manufacturing techniques, creating a lightweight, comfortable and durable power wheelchair that will revolutionise both the power wheelchair market and the lives of disabled users across the world. We are based in Scotland, with the majority of our suppliers also from the UK. There are an estimated 1.2 million power wheelchair users in the UK and we believe there is significant potential to expand our business globally. In 2011, more than 5 million wheelchairs were sold worldwide, which generated 4.6 hundred million to 4.8 hundred million dollars in sales volume. Most of our design uses affordable and accessible off the shelf parts, however the key to delivering the wheelchair’s benefits lies in the design in the electronics and computer system which effectively manages and controls the batteries, motors and charging to deliver hugely improved performance and reliability. We are applying for support to help us develop this system.