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The Leveraged Freedom Chair is a lever-propelled mobility aid designed for the 20 million people
in developing countries who need a wheelchair but do not have one. The key innovation behind
the LFC is its single-speed, variable mechanical advantage drivetrain.
To go fast, the user grasps the levers near the pivots, pushing through a large angle
with every stroke. When the going gets tougher, the user can simply slide his hands up the
levers to create more leverage and higher torque at the wheels.
This means the LFC can travel up to 80% faster than a wheelchair on the road and produce
53% higher peak wheel torque, enabling it to go off road like no other mobility aid available.
Every moving component on the LFC is made from locally-available bicycle parts found
anywhere in the developing world. This allows the chair to be manufactured in small workshops
to large factories for the same price or less than existing products, and be repaired by
local technicians using only local tools and materials.
To use the LFC indoors, the user simply removes the levers and stows them within the frame,
transforming the chair into a conventional pushrim-propelled wheelchair that is small
enough to fit through a standard doorway, low enough to fit under a table, and maneuverable
within a bathroom, allowing the user to easily transfer onto a toilet.