Every old person I know with a stairlift is pissed off at how slow they go. Does anyone have experience of making these things go a bit faster? I mean picture an old person trying to get downstairs to answer the doorbell, shouting "just a minute!" or more precisely "just an hour!"
I know they don't want to be going so fast as they'd fall off, but the things have f****ng seatbelts on them anyway! There'd be no harm in making them go walking speed, with a gradual start.
A 'GT' model would certainly be useful to many people I know. At least they'd then have a fighting chance of getting to the top of the stairs before they forget what they've gone up there for.
I think a 'non linear' speed control would be the solution ... gently speeds up to the mid point then slows down again to the end (assuming the track is straight). ;-)
I'm guessing these things have a 'dead man's handle' in any case?
Cheers, T i m
Mine has. It automatically stops at each end.
Are you saying yours has a 'dead man's handle' and irrespective of that it *also* automatically stops at each end Martin?
By that I mean I assumed all of them automatically stopped at each end but wasn't sure if they all had a dead man's handle?
The thought was, if they didn't and someone was also trying to use the stairs as the person was using the stairlift and we had the 'Turbo' function enabled there wouldn't be any logical human cut-off intervention already in place?
On a practical note the 'Turbo' may also require a bigger motor, unless the existing ones are typically very overrated?
Cheers, T i m
Mothers has to have the chair mounted control pushed one way or the other all the time movement is required, Let go and it springs back to the centre and stops. Can also be controlled from a remote where the button for the appropriate direction has to be held pressed down.
It also has numerous micro switches on various panels that if they detect an obstruction such as a parcel left on the stairs or a shoe gets caught or the occupant is sitting unbalanced also brings it to a halt.
At times these seem too dammed sensitive as the adjustment has to be just right. End stops naturally override the persons input so they don?t attempt to keep going when they reach the end. Older/ disabled brains don?t always work logically.
GH
Yes
Martin brought next idea :
Exactly the same as here! I didn't know they had an unbalanced sensor, but it has detectors on the sides of the chairs, adjacent to the rail, to check for rail obstructions. A sensor on the foot panel, to make sure there is noting on the actual stairs.
On the local control, arms have to be down and the foot panel down, before it will move, but the remote control doesn't car about the state of the arms or foot panel.
I'm quite happy with the way mine works and its performance.
Nightjar formulated the question :
It cannot descend without the motor being powered, or by turning a mechanical winding knob. I would hate to be the one trying to carry out a rescue by having to wind one manually far.
It has its own built in batteries in the chair, so that even if the mains fails, it can be still continue to used.
It was installed for my partner, who passed away soon after it was installed. I left it in as it has seen occasional use and is handy for lifting heavy stuff like TV's and furniture up and down the stairs. I was told by the engineer, that the switch on the rear, isolated the batteries completely, so I could switch the mains to it off, to avoid the batteries being on charge 24/7, but that information was wrong. The switch only stopped the chair from moving, left the brake powered and wrecked the batteries. The only way to isolate the batteries, is to remove the cover and pull the battery plug.
I imagined it might be something like that.
I'm guessing for someone else to be able to assist them?
Check.
I imagine that without some pretty complex and interlinked mechanics or multiple sensors (/switches) per action it might be tricky to get such things right.
Check.
"Are we there yet ... " ;-)
So, I guess the 'issue' re making one faster would be the stopping time (/G force) from speed if it detected an obstruction, even if it had 'soft' acceleration / deceleration to a 'turbo' speed under normal circumstances. Maybe a LIDAR / camera collision detection system could be used? ;-)
Wouldn't be an issue for the Grandkids playing on it of course, even if they lost a leg or finger.
Cheers, T i m
I bet it's not called that in the instructions.
As an aside, have you ever tried getting out of an electric recliner chair when it's fully reclined and you've dropped the control? It's not easy. Perhaps they should have a watchdog circuit that makes them sit up every few hours.
Owain
Assuming there is no freewheel in the drive, do you think that with the gearing needed to get someone up the stairs or would be likely to allow the drive train to be overdriven on the way down?
Yes, less current but same process as 'up'. ;-)
Ok.
Ok.
And it's probably that re why they don't go any faster.
I guess you could have an extended object detection zone with a collapsible bar but they would need to get out of the way once at the top or bottom (access difficulties).
As mentioned elsewhere, I'm sure LIDAR type detection could also be used as it should be pretty easy to map the clear stairs and it could always (soft) revert to non turbo mode as a fallback?
Maybe an overhead LIDAR / camera map of the stairs could also be used to allow turbo mode if everything looks (and stays) clear? That plus IR movement detection for the living and it should be pretty safe?
I think this is one of those things that sounds difficult / overkill initially but could easily be implemented ITRW, if the desire was there. If we are seeing driverless cars it's gotta be easier to do that sort of thing on a short / fixed route. ;-)
And I guess even otherwise healthy people (people still able to take some 'G') may appreciate being able to get up or down the stairs quicker, given the option (especially those with weak bladders)?
Cheers, T i m
Or, more commonly IME, there's a power cut.
I'm amazed they don't insist on the seatbelt being worn. I know nobody who ever puts it on.
Strange, as I find people hate taking a whole minute to get to the front door when someone knocks.
Isn't it more to do with silly regulations rather that the ability to make one?
Ours does.
Bill
No, quite, it would be 'Dead person' these days. ;-)
Erm ... no?
Luckily I'm still mobile / flexible enough for that not to be a real issue. That said, I can't just stand unassisted after sitting on my haunches like I could once. ;-(
That could ruin a good nights sleep. ;-)
We bought such a chair for her Mum and I think it then went to my Mum but at my Sisters (as she had the room and Mum spends quite a bit of time there). She's 88 now and currently in a caravan in Scotland ... that might be a change after Spain earlier in the year. ;-)
Talking of mobility aids ... after Dad died Mum hurt her leg or something and we wanted to take her and some visiting family for a walk so they could see their old haunts and so we stuck mum in Dads old scooter.
She managed pretty well until towards the end, when instead of just letting go on the 'throttle' when on a slight downwards ramp to the road at a pedestrian crossing, instinctively gripped 'the brake' which equalled full speed forward.
'Luckily' I had been ready for such a happening (at all the hazards) and so was able to bring her to a halt with just the front wheel in the road (and to a rather unpleasant hoot from a SUV driver (given we were a group on a pedestrian crossing with an elderly / potentially disabled lady)). I'm not sure she would be riding such a thing if she was blind and where such a 'warning' would have been of use.
I think the issue with the controls as it was the exact scenario (a down ramp onto a high street) that made Mum use cycling muscle memory to apply the 'brake', when that buggy didn't have a brake as such, just the 'dead mans handle' position on the Fwd / Rev tiller.
Cheers, T i m
So, if a person stood at the top needs the lift and the lift is folded up out of the way, there would be no way for that person to call the lift up to them via the remote, without some help? Seems a really odd way to do it.
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