TankChair the wheelchair goes offroad

Liz and Brad Soden's lives changed the day a tyre blew out on their car, causing a tragic accident that left Liz unable to walk. It's a testament to their character that they not only got on with their lives, but decided to help others who'd suffered a similar injury, starting a business that makes this very capable-looking wheelchair.

In Australia, it's estimated that 3-400 people suffer a spinal cord injury each year, and spinal injuries from transport accidents are the most common cause of spinal injury.

The TankChair is not strictly-speaking new, since the first version was released in 2007, but the second version announced at CES, the world's biggest consumer technology expo, in Las Vegas this week, adds many improvements based on customer feedback from the first model.

The TankChair is designed to help wheelchair-bound people enjoy irregular terrain such as bush tracks, grass, gardens, shallow water, sand and snow. Another wheelchair in the range, the Speedster, adds a big splash of bling to motorised wheelchair. Both seem to offer what looks like the most comfortably cushioned chair I've seen in any sort of vehicle.

While the Speedster might draw some chuckles from passers-by, neither chair is for shrinking violets, and nobody's going to give you any lip if you roll up in the TankChair. If you or a loved one are the sort of personality that favoured big, bold cars or Harley Davidsons when you still had the use of your legs, the TankChair may be just what you've been looking for.

There are videos and still photos of the TankChair in action at www.tankchair.com.

We'll amend this story with more information on Australian resellers as details come to hand.