The ongoing effort to improve the wheelchair isn't just about electricity and advanced technology.
TESS Co.'s Cogy wheelchair, designed for people who have trouble walking but can still move their legs, is pedal-powered, says the firm's representative director, Kenji Suzuki.
"You can start pedaling smoothly as soon as you sit down," he said, adding that many users would rather move with their own strength rather than depend on an electric wheelchair, but do not realize such technology exists.