For whom, by whom and when was the wheelchair invented?

One of the first known wheelchairs dates from the time of Confucius, in the 5th century BC. This is a rather primitive version of the wheelchair.

In 1595, King Phillip II of Spain used a relatively elaborate wheelchair at the time, with his arms and feet in a resting position.

However, the first wheelchair similar to the ones we have today was found in the 18th century. It has two large front wheels and small rear wheels on each side.

In the 19th century, wheelchairs were usually made of wood and wicker. In the United States, wheelchairs have become especially popular among American Civil War veterans and later World War I veterans.

The first wheelchair was patented in 1869. This was a two-handed model. Later, new models emerged.

The first folding wheelchair was designed by two engineers in 1932. One of these engineers was involved in a land mine accident during the First World War.

Although the first electrically powered wheelchair dates back to 1924, the first forward wheelchair was designed by George Klein in 1950. The purpose of this electric wheelchair is to assist WWII veterans.

Thanks to the support of the Canadian government and other scientists, George Klein succeeded in inventing the electric wheelchair. It is a fact that the presence of many soldiers and disabled war veterans plays an important role in the development of rehabilitation engineering.

Alongside the invention of the electric wheelchair were other developments in personal mobility devices.

George Johann Klein, OC MBE (August 15, 1904 – November 4, 1992) was a Canadian inventor who is often called the most productive inventor in Canada in the 20th century. Although he struggled as a high school student, he eventually graduated from the University of Toronto in Mechanical Engineering. His inventions include key contributions to the first electric wheelchairs for quadriplegics, the first microsurgical staple gun, the ZEEP nuclear reactor which was the precursor to the CANDU reactor, the international system for classifying ground-cover snow, aircraft skis, the Weasel all-terrain vehicle, the STEM antenna for the space program, and the Canadarm.

Handicapped motorcycles first appeared in the late 60s and early 70s. These motorcycles have been quite successful and have been seen as an alternative to electric wheelchairs. However, they are designed for people who can walk but cannot stand on their feet for long periods of time due to knee problems or arthritis.

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The Maker: George Klein and the first electric wheelchair

HISTORY OF THE WHEELCHAIR