Mobility devices are advancing quickly in 2026: AI systems that mount to existing power chairs, carbon fibre manual frames, standing chairs, off-road adaptive bikes, and early consumer exoskeletons. Availability and price vary, so a seating assessment with an occupational therapist or physiotherapist should guide any decision.
For most of the twentieth century, the wheelchair changed slowly. The basic architecture (frame, wheels, seat) remained essentially stable for decades. What changed was incremental: lighter materials, better cushioning, joystick controllers that were marginally more responsive.
That era is over.
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Get the newsletterWhat’s happening to mobility devices right now is genuinely significant. AI navigation. Carbon fibre frames under 12 pounds. Exoskeletons crossing from clinical rehabilitation into daily consumer use. Off-road adaptive bikes built for riders with quadriplegia that go places no wheelchair was ever going to go. Standing wheelchairs that let you function at standing height throughout your day.
This isn’t hype. These products exist, they’re available, and some of them are changing what’s possible for people who rely on mobility devices. Here’s the state of play.
Smart wheelchairs: AI as a co-pilot
The most talked-about development in power wheelchair technology is the arrival of meaningful AI integration. Not AI as a marketing term. AI as an actual functional layer that does something.
LUCI is the clearest example of this done right. LUCI is not a wheelchair. It’s a hardware and software system that mounts to your existing power chair (between the seat and the wheels) and adds a layer of intelligence to whatever chair you already own and already know how to drive.
The sensor package is the same class of technology found in autonomous vehicles. LUCI’s own user guide describes “a patented system [that] combines stereo vision, infrared projector, inertial measurement unit (IMU), ultrasonic, and radar data into a single view of the world.” In practice that means collision avoidance, drop-off protection, an anti-tipping alert system, and cloud-based communications and alerts you can share with family or a support team if you choose to.
LUCI’s design philosophy is worth noting: they made a deliberate decision not to build an autonomous wheelchair. People who use power chairs don’t want to be driven. They want to drive, with better information and better safety. The technology amplifies independence rather than replacing it.
WHILL is a different direction: a rethinking of what a power chair looks like and who it is sold to. WHILL runs a Canadian office in Winnipeg and sells here directly as well as through dealers, including Mobility 1st in London, Ontario and Active Healthcare Solutions in Burnaby, British Columbia. Scootaround, which people often list as a separate dealer, is not one; WHILL merged with it in 2018. The award people usually mean was for one specific model: the Model Ci, named a TIME Best Invention in 2018.
The Model C2 has a 29.9 inch (760 mm) turning radius, handles indoor and outdoor surfaces, is rated for up to 12.4 miles (20 km) on a full charge, and can be adjusted from a phone. The Model F “folds in less than three seconds” for travel. None of this is a novelty. It is a sign that the power chair market is moving, slowly, toward something that behaves like a consumer product.
Manual wheelchairs: the carbon fibre moment
Carbon fibre has changed everything in the high-performance manual wheelchair category.
Here’s why weight matters in ways that aren’t obvious: every pound in a manual wheelchair is a pound your arms lift every time you load the chair into a vehicle. It’s a pound of rolling resistance throughout the day. It’s a pound of energy that comes from your body. For someone with limited upper extremity strength or fatigue-related conditions, the difference between a 22-pound chair and a 12-pound chair isn’t academic. It’s functional.
Motion Composites is Canadian, based in Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, Quebec, about 45 km northeast of Montreal, and it makes some of the lightest chairs on the market.
Read its numbers carefully, because the headline figure is not the weight of a chair you can sit in. Motion Composites lists the VELOCE at a “Transport Weight 11.9 lbs. | 5.4 kg (16×16 without: rear wheels, armrests/sideguards, seat cushion and anti-tippers)” and gives the “Lightest Functional Configuration: 19.4 lbs. | 8.8 kg (16×16 with: rear wheels, wheel locks, back upholstery and seat cushion).” Transport weight is what you lift into a car after the wheels come off. It is a real and useful number, and it is not comparable to the all-in weight quoted for a hospital-issue chair. Ask any dealer for both figures, in the same configuration, before comparing two chairs. The APEX comes in two versions, APEX C in carbon fibre and APEX A in aluminum.
TiLite CR1 from Permobil pairs a carbon fibre frame with “new carbon fiber caster wheels and titanium reinforcement trim rings,” in Permobil’s words. Note what that says and does not say: the trim rings are titanium, not the frame. It is built around energy efficiency, absorbing road vibration while returning propulsion energy.
The honest caveat on carbon fibre: it doesn’t handle direct impacts as well as aluminum or titanium. A dropped wheelchair, or a chair that regularly takes knocks, may develop micro-fractures over time. For users who are very active in environments with collision risk, titanium’s toughness may be a better trade-off. These are the conversations to have with a seating specialist who knows your use patterns.
Standing wheelchairs: the health case is real
Standing programs get prescribed with a long list of benefits attached: bone density, bladder and bowel function, digestion, circulation, respiratory function. The honest position is that the list is longer than the evidence.
The largest systematic review of home standing programs, Paleg and Livingstone (BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2015), put it plainly: “Stronger evidence supports the impact of home-based supported standing programs on range of motion and activity, primarily for individuals with stroke or spinal cord injury while mixed evidence supports impact on bone mineral density. Evidence for other outcomes and populations is weak or very weak.” A randomized trial by Kwok and colleagues (Spinal Cord, 2015) went further on one of the most repeated claims and found that “Regular standing does not reduce Time to First Stool.”
None of that is a reason not to stand. Range of motion is worth having, and plenty of people stand because reaching a cupboard or talking to someone at eye level is the point. It is a reason to be careful with anyone, including a salesperson, who presents the full list as settled. The Canadian clinical guideline for standing after spinal cord injury says the same thing: “There is limited high quality evidence available to draw firm conclusions about the benefits of standing for individuals with SCI.”
One safety note for readers with a spinal cord injury at or above T6: changes to a standing, bladder or bowel routine are among the triggers for autonomic dysreflexia, a sudden and dangerous rise in blood pressure. Our adaptive fitness guide covers the warning signs and what to do.
What has changed is practicality. Standing used to mean a clinic appointment and a frame. The current generation of chairs and devices brings it into the day.
Permobil’s F5 Corpus VS is a full-featured power chair with integrated standing, and it drives while standing; Permobil has been building drive-while-standing chairs since 1977, and the F5 Corpus VS deploys support wheels automatically when it rises. It is a premium product at a premium price.
The Tek RMD, the Robotic Mobilization Device, takes a different approach: a motorized standing platform you transfer into from your manual chair, entered from behind rather than lowered into. It is made by Matia Mobility (formerly Matia Robotics) and reached Canada in 2026 through Motion. The distinctive feature is independent boarding: “Unlike other standers, users can board and control a Tek RMD unassisted,” in the words of one US distributor. Matia’s own store lists its M1 at USD $29,998, which is the order of magnitude to plan around.
UPnRIDE is a wheeled device that keeps you mobile “in both standing and sitting positions,” and it was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2020. Cleared, not approved; the two words mean different things and the difference matters if anyone quotes it at you. The company is still trading in 2026, though its founder, Dr Amit Goffer, has died, and it does not sell direct, so availability in Canada runs through dealers.
Off-road and recreational mobility: Bowhead is the story
If you follow adaptive outdoor recreation, you’ve heard of Bowhead. If you haven’t, you should have.
Bowhead Corp makes adaptive mountain bikes, electric-assist, purpose-designed for people with significant physical disabilities, built to go where no standard mobility device was ever designed to go. The key technology is their FLOW articulating front end. Two wheels in the front, one in the back (or variations depending on model), with an articulating joint that lets the vehicle lean and move over obstacles rather than being stopped by them.
The Reach is the general-purpose bike in the line, what Bowhead calls the Swiss Army knife of adaptive mountain bikes. Throttle paddles and brake controls are configured to whatever hand and wrist function the rider has. It handles trails, dirt, gravel and off-road terrain. This is not an assisted roll down a paved path.
The Ranger is the one built for riders with the least hand function. Bowhead’s own description: “Engineered for those with limited hand function, spinal cord injuries, quadriplegia, or aging riders, this bike redefines what’s possible in outdoor accessibility.” Two wheels in the rear, articulating front, more stability.
The RX is a hybrid for riders who want one bike for paved trails, gravel and real off-road use, and the Rogue rounds out the bike line.
Then there is the Era, Bowhead’s first wheelchair, carbon fibre framed, shown at the Abilities Expo in Los Angeles in March 2025. The bike line’s design thinking applied to a manual chair.
Bowhead is not the only player here, and the alternatives serve different chairs. FreedomTrax is a motorized track unit you drive a manual wheelchair onto for snow and sand; the company describes it as “the ONLY motorized off-road attachment for manual wheelchairs on the market,” so it is not an option for a power chair user. The Hippocampe beach and all-terrain chair is made by Vipamat in Brittany, France, which has operated as a company since 2002. TerrainHopper is an electric off-road vehicle, and the roughly 10 inch clearance figure people quote is 250 mm on the Overlander models specifically, not across the range; the two-wheel-drive Flatlander sits much lower. Check the model, not the brand.
Exoskeletons: the consumer moment is beginning
The exoskeleton market has been “almost ready for consumers” for longer than is comfortable. It’s been largely clinical, rehabilitation hospitals, gait training, research settings. The gap between what exoskeletons could theoretically do and what people with disabilities could actually access has been enormous.
In 2026, that gap is finally starting to close.
Hangzhou RoboCT unveiled its GoGo exoskeleton series at CES 2026, its first appearance at the show. That the venue was a consumer electronics show rather than a medical device conference is the point. Read the weight claim precisely, though: RoboCT’s own announcement says it weighs “a mere 2.3kg per side (excluding battery)”. That is not the same as a 2.3 kg device.
Wandercraft announced in June 2025 that it had “secured $75 million equity and debt as part of its Series D round,” partly to bring its Eve personal exoskeleton to market. Eve is self-balancing, which matters because earlier designs needed the user to supply some balance. It is not, however, a device you use alone: Wandercraft says Eve “is designed to support hands-free standing and walking with the assistance of a trained companion.” As of June 2026 it is “currently under FDA regulatory review, with launch anticipated in summer 2026 pending clearance.” Not cleared yet. The clearances Wandercraft already holds are for its clinical Atalante X.
The honest timeline: consumer exoskeletons in 2026 are still early. Prices are high, availability is limited, and clinical units remain the route for most people who get access at all. The direction is toward broader access. The date is not this month.
What to do with this information
Mobility device decisions are significant, financially, functionally, and in terms of what they make possible in your life. Here’s how to approach the decision:
Get a proper seating assessment. An occupational therapist or physiotherapist with a seating specialty should be involved in any significant mobility device decision. A chair that’s wrong for your posture, your environment, or your use patterns will cause problems regardless of how impressive its specs are. Provincial funding differs more than people expect. Ontario’s Assistive Devices Program, run by the Ministry of Health, “helps people with long-term physical disabilities pay for customized equipment, like wheelchairs and hearing aids.” Alberta has Alberta Aids to Daily Living. British Columbia has no equivalent single program: device funding runs through the medical equipment and devices health supplement, which is limited to people on income or disability assistance and covers “the least expensive, appropriate medical equipment or device,” while the assessment itself is free because “occupational therapists and physical therapists employed at Regional Health Authority provide assessments for free.” Assistive Technology BC is a different service again, for post-secondary students, and it does not fund wheelchairs.
Ask about what’s new. Many rehabilitation equipment dealers are not up to date on the latest products. If your assessment happened more than a year ago, asking specifically about newer options is reasonable.
Consider what you actually do. The best chair for someone who lives in a city and uses transit is not the best chair for someone who spends time outdoors on variable terrain. The best chair for a high-level SCI is not the best chair for an active manual wheelchair user who propels all day. The technology is differentiated enough now that matching device to lifestyle matters more than it did when options were fewer.
Follow the community. New Mobility, acquired by United Spinal Association in 2010 and now its member publication, still publishes; wheelchair-specific forums and the crowd around Abilities Expo are where real-world performance information surfaces well before it reaches official reviews. American, mostly, so treat pricing and funding advice there as American.
The technology is genuinely advancing. Some of it is worth your attention. Not all of it will be right for you. Knowing what exists is the first step to knowing what questions to ask.
Sources
Motion Composites, VELOCE specifications and head office address.
WHILL, company history and Canadian office, Model C2 specifications, Model F.
LUCI, feature list and user guide.
Permobil, TiLite CR1 and standing power wheelchairs.
Paleg G and Livingstone R, “Systematic review and clinical recommendations for dosage of supported home-based standing programs for adults with stroke, spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions,” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 16 (2015): 358, DOI 10.1186/s12891-015-0813-x.
Kwok S et al., “Does regular standing improve bowel function in people with spinal cord injury? A randomised crossover trial,” Spinal Cord 53 (2015): 36-41, DOI 10.1038/sc.2014.189.
SCI Centre Physiotherapy Lead Clinicians, Clinical Guideline for Standing Adults Following Spinal Cord Injury, SCIRE.
Matia Mobility, Tek RMD. UPnRIDE, FDA clearance announcement, 2020. American regulatory process; Health Canada licensing is separate.
Bowhead Corp (Calgary), Ranger and Reach. FreedomTrax, product description. Vipamat, company history.
RoboCT, GoGo announcement, CES 2026. Wandercraft, Series D and Eve distribution announcement, June 2026.
Government of Ontario, Assistive Devices Program. Government of Alberta, Alberta Aids to Daily Living. Province of British Columbia, Medical Equipment and Devices.
Living Unlimited Team
Frequently asked questions
What does LUCI actually do for a power wheelchair?
LUCI is not a wheelchair. It is a hardware and software system that mounts to an existing power chair, between the seat and the wheels, and adds collision avoidance, drop-off protection, an anti-tipping alert system, and cloud-based communications and alerts that can be shared with family or a support team. It amplifies independence rather than driving for you.
Why is the advertised weight of a carbon fibre wheelchair confusing?
Because the headline figure is often transport weight, the weight after the rear wheels, armrests, cushion and anti-tippers come off, not the weight of a chair you can sit in. One Canadian maker lists a transport weight of 11.9 pounds and a lightest functional configuration of 19.4 pounds for the same chair. Ask a dealer for both figures in the same configuration.
Is there strong evidence that standing programs improve health?
The evidence is narrower than the list of benefits usually attached to standing programs. The largest systematic review of home standing programs found stronger support for range of motion and activity, mainly for individuals with stroke or spinal cord injury, mixed evidence on bone mineral density, and weak evidence elsewhere. A randomized trial found regular standing does not reduce time to first stool.
Are there adaptive bikes built for riders with limited hand function?
Bowhead Corp makes electric-assist adaptive mountain bikes with a FLOW articulating front end that leans and moves over obstacles. The Ranger is the model built for riders with the least hand function; Bowhead describes it as engineered for those with limited hand function, spinal cord injuries, quadriplegia, or aging riders. The Reach is the general-purpose bike, with throttle paddles and brake controls configured to the rider’s hand and wrist function.
How does provincial funding for wheelchairs differ across Canada?
Funding differs more than people expect. Ontario’s Assistive Devices Program helps people with long-term physical disabilities pay for customized equipment such as wheelchairs. Alberta has Alberta Aids to Daily Living. British Columbia has no single equivalent program; funding runs through a health supplement limited to people on income or disability assistance. Confirm current rules with the program in your province before planning around them.
