With an average price of 4,000 yuan, can the younger elderly shed the label of vulnerability and pay for the "tech-savvy wheelchairs"?
As people age, joint aging and muscle strength decline make it difficult for many elderly people to go out.
Wheelchairs, once a means of transportation exclusive to the disabled or the very elderly, have gradually taken on new forms and entered the daily lives of the elderly.
According to data from Jingcanmou, in the first quarter of 2024, the cumulative online sales (JD.com + Tmall + Taobao) of wheelchairs in the domestic market reached nearly 600,000 units, with a sales volume of about 450 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of over 35% compared to 2023.
Intelligent wheelchairs, or the extended form of electric wheelchair vehicles, indicate that wheelchairs are evolving from traditional means of transportation to "barrier-free" living terminals.
This article will focus on the development of intelligent wheelchairs in the domestic elderly care market, starting from real - life scenarios to explore the market opportunities for intelligent wheelchairs.
Intelligent electric wheelchairs take over from traditional ones, and the younger elderly become a new growth point
Wheelchairs are a necessity for the very elderly, as well as those who are disabled or semi - disabled when it comes to getting around.
According to research by AgeCapital, currently, the demand for wheelchairs among the silver - haired population is mainly concentrated in the group over 80 years old. In the future, the penetration rate will further increase among the younger and middle - aged elderly groups.
Image source: AgeCapital
As the market demand for wheelchairs grows, traditional manual wheelchairs have problems such as high operation difficulty, dependence on others for propulsion, and lack of comfort. This situation is particularly obvious under the reality of the elderly living alone and the shortage of caregivers.
"I chose to buy a well - known brand online. Unexpectedly, after the wheelchair arrived home and was tested, it was found that it couldn't go in a straight line."
"Sometimes, because the front wheels of the wheelchair are too small, to get over a 3 - centimeter - high bump, one has to lean back."
"The seat cushion of the wheelchair is very thin, and it's very hard for the elderly to sit on. I had to buy a soft cushion myself."
With the explosion of demand, the wheelchair market urgently needs a change.
Technological progress has promoted the electrification and intelligence of wheelchair equipment. There are more diverse and segmented wheelchair products in the market. The integrated product of electric mobility wheelchairs is becoming more popular, and the market demand is further expanding.
"Youth has no price, and the wheelchair goes straight to Lhasa." There was once a trend among young people on social platforms to buy and use electric mobility wheelchairs. Although it was short - lived, it brought a new perspective to the market - looking for new demands with new forms.
Image source: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A salesperson in an offline store once admitted, "Currently, all the electric wheelchairs on the market are only suitable for the elderly who have mobility problems but still have quick reactions."
In the large domestic elderly population structure, the mildly disabled elderly are a "middle layer" that has been long ignored: this group of elderly people has not lost their mobility and does not need long - term bed rest or intensive care, but they are unable to get up, use the toilet, or go out independently. Especially for those who live alone, are empty - nesters, or are widowed, they are gradually caught in a situation where "it's difficult to move and difficult to ask for help."
At the same time, many of the younger elderly still have an optimistic attitude and actively participate in life. They hope to weaken their "elderly" label. However, the youthful mindset cannot stop the natural aging of physical functions, and the problem of getting around still troubles their lives.
Traditional wheelchairs are almost unacceptable to the elderly with mild mobility problems. Even some elderly people who have to use them will resist. "They think sitting in a wheelchair will make them look 'weak' and even feel ashamed."
The intelligent mobility wheelchairs, which are a form of intelligent wheelchairs, not only meet the needs of the younger elderly but also add neutral and technological elements, reducing the resistance of the elderly. As a result, this group of younger and mildly disabled elderly can enjoy the high - quality product experience brought by technology and gain respect and satisfaction psychologically.
Pipixiong Electric - assisted Wheelchair W3. Image source: Pipixiong
According to AgeCapital, due to the rising prices of raw materials and the continuous improvement of the intelligence level of electric wheelchairs, the average price in the electric wheelchair market tends to rise. In 2023, the average price of the electric wheelchair market in China increased to nearly 4,000 yuan per unit.
After buying an electric wheelchair, Grandpa Chen no longer has to reduce his travel range due to walking difficulties, nor does he have to rely on others to go out. He can actively participate in various community activities.
According to research by Huajing Industry Research Institute, the global production of electric wheelchairs was about 3.5344 million units in 2015 and increased to 6.1498 million units in 2023; the global demand for electric wheelchairs was about 3.4051 million units in 2015 and increased to 5.9044 million units in 2023.
Although some consumers still buy manual wheelchairs, the trend of lightweight and intelligent development in the wheelchair industry is irreversible.
In 2024, the sales volume of manual wheelchairs with intelligent auxiliary functions accounted for 35%, and the sales revenue accounted for as high as 45%. Boyan Consulting predicts that this proportion will further increase to 40% and 50% in 2025.
The domestic electric wheelchair vehicle market is in its early stage of development. There is no obvious leading enterprise yet, the competition pattern is fierce, and there are abundant opportunities in the market.
According to data from Guanzhihai Nei, in 2023, in the electric wheelchair industry, Xinlong Health accounted for 4.19%, Dongfang Medical accounted for 2.20%, Kaiyang Medical accounted for 2.10%, Ottobock (China) accounted for 1.80%, Songyong accounted for 1.20%, and Hubang Co., Ltd. accounted for 1.10%.
Image source: Guanzhihai Nei Information Network
With technological progress and the upgrading of the consumption structure, high - end and intelligent development centered on technology will become an important direction for the development of the wheelchair industry. More and more new - type wheelchair products will appear in the market to greatly improve the lives of the elderly.
From stair - climbing ability to brain - controlled interaction, wheelchairs transform into "barrier - free living terminals"
As the demand for elderly care continues to be released, the elderly care products in the market are increasingly focused on the "very elderly, disabled, and living alone" groups.
On the one hand, the release of potential demand has further promoted the rapid development of related industries. Foshan, Guangdong, the largest production base of wheelchairs and hospital beds in China, has an annual output value of related products exceeding 2 billion yuan.
On the other hand, the continuous expansion and in - depth exploration of the industrial scale have provided more possibilities for technological innovation. The improvement of technological strength has promoted the continuous growth of the overall intelligence and Internet - of - Things level in the electric wheelchair market.
The technological breakthroughs of intelligent wheelchairs are constantly breaking the survival boundaries of the disabled and the elderly and reshaping their spiritual strength.
Breakthrough in mobility
The improvement of technological strength first brings a significant improvement in the mobility of electric wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are no longer just chairs for sitting and moving. Currently, they bring many possibilities for activities to the elderly and the disabled.
At the 12th National Paralympic Games held in July, Foshan Kaiyang Medical brought several electric intelligent wheelchairs with greatly improved mobility.
The intelligent stair - climbing electric wheelchair eliminates the trouble of going up and down stairs for the disabled and the elderly. According to Foshan Kaiyang Medical, this wheelchair can climb 1,120 steps on a full charge. It can intelligently sense the slope of the stairs, automatically adjust the sitting posture to ensure safety and comfort, and can easily cross a 28 - centimeter - wide ditch by switching modes intelligently, allowing users to move more freely.
Image source: Shenzhen Disabled Persons' Federation
"For those of us who wear prosthetics or rely on wheelchairs for a long time, going up and down stairs has always been a big problem. This intelligent stair - climbing electric wheelchair has really solved our 'big concern'," said an athlete after experiencing it.
The chairman of Foshan Dongfang Medical was deeply touched after witnessing the scene of hospital staff struggling to transport a disabled elderly person to the hospital by bicycle at the hospital entrance. Then he shifted from pharmaceutical equipment production to focusing on wheelchair research and development.
Currently, the company has not only launched the first sports wheelchair for the disabled in China but also an electric standing wheelchair. Equipped with multiple motors, this wheelchair allows users to "stand up", enabling the disabled and the elderly to stand and walk again by changing its form.
Image source: Nanfang Plus
Breakthrough in interaction mode
While most people lack imagination about concepts such as "brain - computer interface" and "brain - controlled", the interaction mode of electric intelligent wheelchairs has achieved a new leap.
The Brain - Computer Intelligence Research Center of Pazhou Laboratory, led by Professor Li Yuanqing from South China University of Technology, is turning brain - computer interaction from science fiction into reality.
Currently, Li Yuanqing's team has achieved lightweight electroencephalogram (EEG) signal acquisition and visual transformation. Through the "multi - modal brain - computer AI headband", it can collect and send people's EEG signals. Then, through signal amplification, reading, denoising, translation, analysis and other processing in the background system, it can analyze and feedback the changes in EEG signals. In this way, the wheelchair can be controlled by the human brain.
Products such as the brain - computer AI mouse, brain - computer AI wheelchair, and brain - computer AI smart ward developed by Li Yuanqing's team have been put into trial use in many hospitals.
Image source: "China Science and Technology Innovation Ceremony"
Not surprisingly, it's not only one company that has realized the transformation of the interaction mode brought by technology.
Kaiyang Medical has also launched its own brain - controlled wheelchair. According to the introduction, by wearing a special brain ring, the EEG signals are captured and processed by the AI system and then converted into commands to control the wheelchair to move forward, backward, turn, and brake. Even those with limited mobility can control it with their "mind". This wheelchair also has an overall lifting function, enabling the conversion between sitting and lying postures and a smooth transfer between the bed and the chair to meet the needs of various life scenarios.
The chairman of Kaiyang Medical also said, "Our products have gone through the stages from remote - controlled to voice - controlled and then to brain - controlled. The products are becoming more intelligent and personalized."
Dongfang Medical is also exploring the possibility of new interaction modes. It is currently planning to deeply integrate AI technology with wheelchairs to develop wheelchairs that can recognize sign language.
Breakthrough in business model
With the acceleration of the domestic aging process and the improvement of public service levels, barrier - free travel has become an important indicator of the urban civilization and friendliness. However, the shortage of travel assistance equipment has always troubled the disabled and the elderly when they go out.
The shared wheelchair model emerged with the development of the sharing economy. After the rapid development of Internet - of - Things technology became the underlying logic of intelligent devices, the large - scale and rapid implementation of shared wheelchairs has become possible.
By using low - power Bluetooth locks and Internet - of - Things technology, shared wheelchairs can operate without power supply dependence.
Guangdong Fanari Technology Co., Ltd. has put a batch of shared wheelchairs in the Sichuan Museum. Tourists only need to turn on Bluetooth and can locate nearby available wheelchairs through a mobile app, scan the code to rent and share them. The person in charge of the scenic area management said, "Compared with traditional manual rental, the average daily turnover rate of intelligent shared wheelchairs has increased by 2 times."
The "Huafenyun" shared wheelchairs have entered the Dongguan Eastern Central Hospital and are connected to a 24 - hour intelligent monitoring system. According to the operation data provided by the hospital, since the shared wheelchairs were put into use, the average response time for equipment failures has been 30 minutes.
Image source: Phoenix Network
Through the rapid iterative application of technology, wheelchairs are no longer just a simple rehabilitation or travel aid. Instead, they are gradually becoming a barrier - free terminal, providing the elderly with more ability to live