New wheelchair gets its first real-world test

(PhysOrg.com) -- The U.N. Development Programme estimates that less than 1 percent of the need for wheelchairs in developing countries is met by local production, partly because small workshops can`t exploit economies of scale to be profitable. Moreover, the wheelchairs that are available aren`t designed for people who must push themselves over rough roads and muddy walking paths often encountered in the Third World. As a result, millions of people must rely on others to carry them or be stranded inside their homes.

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