How a wheelchair was born...

After years of searching for a wheelchair that could
keep up with his independent and active lifestyle,
Samuel Gibson could see the only option left was to
get one developed.

A fter sharing his requirements with good mate and highly skilled design engineer Campbell Easton of Metalform, they decided to develop a wheelchair.  With the combination of Metalform’s engineering and manufacturing resource and Samuel's practical experience, a totally unique concept evolved.  A wheelchair that, in function, was as close to an able  body as possible, while still being simple and affordable.  A chair which could be an option for those who are restricted by the traditional and basic wheelchairs available to them.

Design Objectives

• To be able to raise the seat to eye level and lower to ground level.
• The chair would need to be practical from an assistant/guardian’s point of view.
• The chair would be safe to operate and reliable enough to be the user’s ‘legs’ for 5 years + with minimum maintenance.
• To be comfortable to live in. The chair has front, middle and rear suspension and 'Tilt in Space' of 45°.
• LOOK GOOD.. A Wheelchair to be Proud of!

After years of design, research and development, 5 prototype chairs were built in 2004.
In 2006, Metalform attended a trade-show in Germany with the intention of finding a suitable distribution partner with similar company values, standards and somone who had strong market experience. The response Metalform received during the exhibition was overwhelming. Metalform come away with over 10 potentional distribution partners. Metalform selected Permobil AB (of Sweden) - who are the 3rd largest electric wheelchair manufacturers in the
world - to be the world-wide distributor. Metalform’s R&D team re-designed the original Ezi-Riser to use Permobil’s standard electronics and modular accessory range.
The new design, called the K450, was also designed to comply with all wheelchair standards world-wide.

View the K450 on the Permobil website here.
Watch a K450 Video here.