Certification processing for the OGO Mobility Device in manufacture is tedious, at best. In this article, we explore and develop the next process in certification, worldwide. The vision Kevin Halsall purports promises to change the plight of the mobility challenged people in a fast-growing, global environment.
Certification of the Ogo is now in process in other countries. This will take some time due to the structure and varying time for each country to go through and finish the process. The good news is that certification should be finished well before the end of the year in 2018.
Before I talk further about the certification of the Ogo, I would like to give a short history of the Ogo up to this point in time for those who are new to the Ogo device and its ‘Active Seat Control System.’
The Ogo was born out of friendship, and concern for the struggles of Kevin Halsall’s friend Marcus. Kevin and Marcus love archery and went out to practice whenever they could. Kevin noticed the difficulty and struggle Marcus was having, getting his wheelchair over the outdoor terrain to get to the shooting site. After some discussions with Marcus about the problem, Kevin, being a design engineer, wanted to help. So, after some extensive research, Kevin focused his engineering and design skills on bringing the technology of the present to the wheelchair of the past in order to increase the mobility and freedom of movement for his friend.
After several years of researching self-balancing technologies and three prototypes later, Kevin created, and patented what he called an ‘Active Seat Control System.’ Of course this was done with the help of Marcus, who did the testing for each one, and gave feedback as needed. This system allows the user to simply use their core muscles to lean in the direction he or she wants to go. The research and ongoing revisions are continuing to this date while winning several awards along the way for design excellence and innovation, which have broadened the field for end users with differing levels of ability.
On a personal note, I can see a time when wheelchair technology will, because of just these types of dedicated individuals, advance to a level where true mobility to travel across any terrain including climbing stairs, will exist for the sitting community. All this available in one device, opening up new possibilities and redefining the way we think of mobility itself. In short, changing lives for the better.
I have spoken with Kevin and Marcus, and have found them both to be very caring and creative individuals who are committed to the continued success of the Ogo for the mobility and freedom it will bring to the sitting community.
They also have plans to expand their creative mobility solutions, for this under-provided personal mobility area. So we can expect to see even more creative solutions from this Ogo team in the future, adding accessories that will improve our lives and make it easier to navigate life as we know it, while creating an excitement about personal mobility that was thought to be lost by most of us.
Recently, Kevin and Marcus traveled to disability expos, one located in Los Angeles, California, United States. In the photos below are shown Kevin, Marcus and the OGO team traveling in Australia to attend the Disability Expo in May of 2018.
And here on location at the Sydney, Australia Disability Expo:
Now, back to certification of the Ogo. Certification is an essential process for the Ogo not only for safety but also for the reliability of the end users. Certification is also lengthy and difficult at best. And the Ogo team is hard at work taking the steps needed to bring the best Ogo possible to its customers and agents. The certification process will also insure that the Ogo lives up to its promise of a life changing experience for the sitting community it will serve worldwide.
A high frustration level also exists with going through the certification process as well. That being said, this writer feels that team Ogo is more than up to the challenge. The scope of bringing to the world, a device that will update the wheelchair, is an awesome task. Please note that the wheelchair has had little change in its capabilities for the past 100 years or so. Team Ogo is dedicated to bringing us that vision of a device capable of traveling over the everyday terrain we encounter in our lives, with safety, security and comfort as their goal.
In conclusion, I would just like to say Thank you Team Ogo for your heartfelt efforts to bring this technology to the disabled community at large. You may never know how treasured and appreciated this is, to know you are out there helping us expand our mobility and quality of life. Thank You so much. Go Ogo!
Written By: Larry Hollenbeck
UNIVERSAL DIGEST is honored to have such noble and committed authors here. The ongoing search to enhance the human condition is most pronounced in this article. Thank you, Larry Hollenbeck.