Market Plan

Market Strategy

We will be using a similar target market as the Free Wheelchair Mission where $80 will build a wheelchair and ship it. So far over 1 million wheelchairs has been distributed to date to 93 countries, but there are over 70 million people that are in need of a wheelchair but cannot afford one, let alone afford a lever arm attachment. Our lever arm will be an attachment to the wheelchairs already given out or to be given out. We hope people will see the need for a lever arm just as they see a need for a wheelchair, we will do this by showing clinical research of how 90% of the energy used on pushrims is wasted and why the lever arm is easier on the upper-body compared to the pushrims. But why don’t free wheelchair mission use lever arms already out there? Affordability!!! Our wheelchair will cost less than $71 to manufacture.

Competitor Analysis

The most important design criteria is the low cost to manufacture where our goal is $71, we are currently at $130 but this number is a whole cost and not counting what we actually used. Our design should last 5 years which is how long the wheelchair lasts. As for our design will fit through a standard doorway of 30 inches and can be used indoors. Our design will only add 2 inches of width which is sufficient to fit. Our design goal is to take as much as 20 minutes to attach the lever arm just as the wheelchair takes to assemble. Another important design criteria is the force comparison to the pushrims. From our calculations we should expect 20% reduction. Main takeaways is that it’s affordable, can be used in small spaces, and better than the pushrims. 

Design Criteria
  • Low cost to manufacture
  • Long lasting
  • Compact size
  • Easy to attach
  • Reduced Force
WheelChase
  • $70
  • 20%
Grit Freedom Chair
  • $2500
  • 50%
NuDrive Air
  • $2000
  • 40%