Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair Market - Forecast (2022-2027)

The Global Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair Market size is estimated to reach $145.7 Million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period 2022-2027 attributed to increased emphasis on safety and comfort, rising incidences of preventable chronic diseases, growing focus on preventive healthcare and so on. Adoption of autonomous driving wheelchair is increasing due to their increased use for analyzing different health variables like ability to learn, communicate or walk. The devices attached with the autonomous wheelchair provide real-time data to the physician which can help in better treatment of the patient. Wheelchairs equipped with Navigation system & LiDAR sensors combined with artificial intelligence provide advanced control over the movement and helps in identification of obstructions in the path of the patient. It assists in the independent movement of the user to the desired place, thereby reducing burden of caretaker. Additionally, growing shift towards autonomous technology for improving healthcare services and increasing demand for mobility impairment or physical disability treatment within geriatric population are some of the major factors set to transform the Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair industry outlook in the coming time.

 

 

The “Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair Market Report – Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments in the Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair Market.

 

By Type: Semi-autonomous/Partially Autonomous Wheelchairs, Fully Autonomous Wheelchairs.

By Component: Hardware Devices and Navigation System.

By Sales Channel: Online and Offline.

By Application: Residential, Commercial.

By End User: Hospitals, Rehabilitation Centers, Public Transportation, Personal Homecare and Others.

By Geography: North America (U.S, Canada, Mexico), Europe (U.K, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Others), APAC (China, Japan India, South Korea, Australia, Others), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Others), RoW (Middle East, Africa)

 

 

Navigation system segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period 2022-2027 in the global autonomous/self driving wheelchair market, owing to rising focus on increasing mobility for patients suffering from multiple disabilities, growing prevalence of road accidents and so on.

Hospitals are set to capture the global autonomous/self driving wheelchair market with the fastest growth 2022-2027, attributing to increasing patient assistance for routine health check-ups, and rising adoption of autonomous technologies in healthcare sectors and so on.

North America region dominated the global autonomous/self driving wheelchair market in 2021, owing to early adoption of autonomous technologies, growing geriatric population and so on.

Growing shift towards autonomous technology based medical systems for improving healthcare services along with rising geriatric population coupled with mobility impairment or physical disabilities is analyzed to significantly drive the market growth of autonomous/self driving wheelchair during the forecast period 2022-2027.

 

 

 

Based on component, Navigation system is anticipated to witness the fastest growth with a CAGR of 8.2% in the global autonomous/self driving wheelchair market during 2022-2027. Growing emphasis on increasing mobility of the patients suffering from multiple disabilities, as well as rising prevalence of road accidents or injuries are some of the major factors influencing the demand for navigation system. Advanced navigation system in the wheelchairs is being integrated with artificial intelligence technologies, in order to recognize the obstacles in the path of a patient. This facilitates machine-to-machine communication so that it can interact with elevators & lifts to provide ease in the transportation of the patient at public places such as hospitals & airports. These devices use LiDAR sensors to allocate the positions different from the wheel chair and thus increase the safety of the patient. In December 2020, Panasonic launched PiiMO autonomous wheelchair with advanced navigation system which can safely guide the rider through crowd. Incorporated with passenger-assisted technology, these wheelchairs offered interactive mobility and comfortable movement of the disabled person particularly at workplaces. Additionally, these were equipped with image recognition technology, self-position sensors and obstacle-detecting safety sensors to move independently and safely, alongside supporting autonomous movement on user command via smartphone applications. Such factors are set to assist the demand for navigation system in the Global Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair industry in the long run.

 

 

Hospital segment is analyzed to witness the fastest growth with a CAGR of 9.1% during 2022-2027 in the global autonomous/self driving wheelchair market. This growth will be driven by several factors like increasing patient assistance for routine health checkups, increasing focus on promoting independence & mobility of patients, rising adoption of autonomous technologies in healthcare sectors and so on. The use of autonomous wheelchairs in health facilities reduce the burden on hospital staff for the transportation of patients for routine check-ups, operations or for a walk. Since driverless wheelchairs can receive commands directly from the hospital information management system, staff or from the patients, they have started gaining wide popularity. It can independently transport the patient across different floors in a health facility, and drop patients at the desired location, eliminating staff or medical assistant needs. In May 2021, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation, the Seoul Museum of Art, and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital had collaborated to develop a self driving wheelchair with the aim of assisting vulnerable groups using the autonomous wheelchair technology. These wheelchairs were equipped with LiDAR sensors, cameras, ultrasonic sensor and an in-wheel system for operation. Such advancements within healthcare sector to increase efficiency and improve patient outcomes, is set to accelerate the demand for autonomous/self driving wheelchairs in the coming time.

 

 

North America region dominated the global autonomous/self driving wheelchair market with a share of 36% in 2021, owing to early adoption of autonomous technologies & vehicles, growing geriatric population and so on. Additionally, increasing utilization of self driving or automated wheelchairs within hospitals, airports and so on, alongside presence of a large number of market players in the region such as Invacare Corporation and Sunrise Medical LLC, have been driving the growth of Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair industry. According to a report published in 2021 by the URBAN Institute, the population of 65 and older in the United States will double in the next 40 years, reaching 80 million by 2040. The number of persons aged 85 and above will increase four times between 2000 and 2040, putting a strain on the elderly healthcare facilities of the country. Such factors are further set to influence the growth of Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair industry outlook within North American markets.

 

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Rapid adoption of autonomous technology in healthcare is propelling the growth of autonomous/self driving wheelchair market. Significant developments in the use of sensors, adaptive algorithms, high-performance maps integrated with artificial intelligence have contributed to advancements in the development of healthcare devices. Additionally, government mandate on increasing the use of digital technologies is healthcare and increased investment in R&D in healthcare and life science are expected to play an important role in driving the growth of autonomous devices in healthcare. According to a survey conducted by Accenture in 2021 on consumer adoption of digital services, 30% of respondents said that they prefer to use digital technology to manage their health. The survey further concluded that there was a 73% increase in virtual healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2021, Hokkaido University in Japan developed an autonomous walker for patients in nursing homes and hospitals. This autonomous system can locate the patients who want to go out for a walk or want to change their location without the intervention of nursing home or hospital staff. The wheelchair is equipped with advanced navigation system and sensors, for assisting safe & independent movement of the patient in the hospitals. These factors will help in elevating the Global Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair market size in the long run.

 

 

Rapid rise in the geriatric population is increasing strain on the healthcare services thereby accelerating the growth of the Autonomous/self driving wheelchair market. Elderly population require healthcare solutions to deal with certain issues faced by them such as obesity, paralysis attacks, strokes, neurological disorders, knee surgeries and so on. This in turn, make them prone to potential risks like long-time sickness, or suffering from temporary or permanent disability. Additionally, prevalence of physical impairments, medical amputation and injuries are the major factors boosting the demand for autonomous/self driving wheelchairs. According to a report published by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021, more than 1 billion people worldwide are disable. It further stated that disability is becoming more predominant attributed to changing demographics trends and increasing burden of chronic diseases. As per the above figures, approximately 3.8% of the global population faces significant difficulties in daily functioning and requires assistance, thus driving the demands for autonomous/self driving wheelchairs. In May 2021, University of Trento and University of Padua developed RoboEYE, an efficient and safe semi-autonomous wheelchair. It had the ability to move in response to the eye movement of the user. The wheelchair can be extremely useful for those patients having severe motor disabilities, by providing assistance for people incapable of moving their limbs. Such factors will help in the expansion of Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair market size in the coming time.

 

 

High costs of the autonomous/self-driving wheelchairs and increasing adoption conventional wheelchairs are impeding the market growth. To facilitate autonomous driving, development of Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair requires the integration and use of advanced devices such as navigation systems and LiDAR sensors. These devices increase the overall cost of the autonomous wheelchairs thereby increasing the adoption of conventional wheelchairs. Additionally, before the release of autonomous wheelchair in the market, there is requirement of extensive testing to ensure quality and durability of the device, which also add ups to the overall price. The high cost of autonomous/self driving wheelchair limits its adoption in comparison to traditional or manually operated wheelchairs. According to a report published by Disabled World in 2021, the use of highly advanced technologies to design the autonomous wheelchair increase their cost up to $30,000. Such factors are restraining the growth of Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair industry.

 

 

Product launches, acquisitions and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair Market. The top 10 companies in the Autonomous/Self Driving Wheelchair Market are:

 

1. Sunrise Medical LLC

2. Invacare Corporation

3. Permobil Corporation

4. Meyra GmbH

5. Karman Healthcare

6. Ottobock SE & Company

7. Matia Robotics

8. Upnride Robotics

9. DEKA Research & Development

10. Whill Inc.

 

 

In January 2022, Invacare Corporation, launched ‘One Solution’ initiative for the integration of its wheelchairs with some of the best seating systems for a complete solution. The initiative is launched with the aim to increase the comfort and safety of the wheelchairs.

In December 2021, Meyra Gmbh launched iChair Meylife, an intelligent power wheelchair. It will assist the patients suffering from tetraplegia, traumatic brain injury, paraplegia, Parkinson’s disease, leg amputations and other conditions in mobility.

In July 2021, Sunrise Medical collaborated with LUCI to develop automated wheelchair technology available to new users of the QUICKIE line of power wheelchairs. Wheelchair users will be able to benefit from the performance and manoeuvrability of a QUICKIE chair, as well as the intelligence and safety features provided by LUCI.