In the formulation of international standards for electric wheelchairs, have consumers’ voices been taken into consideration?

In the formulation of international standards for electric wheelchairs, have consumers’ voices been taken into consideration?

In the process of formulating international standards for electric wheelchairs, consumers’ voices have indeed been widely considered. This is not only reflected in all aspects of standard formulation, but also through various channels and mechanisms to ensure that consumers’ actual needs and usage experience are fully reflected. The following is a specific analysis and discussion:

I. The importance of consumer feedback in standard formulation

(I) Sources of consumer feedback
Consumer feedback is mainly collected through market research, user testing, reports from consumer associations, and online comments. These feedbacks provide valuable empirical data for standard setters to help them understand consumers’ experience and needs in actual use.

(II) Specific content of consumer feedback
According to the report of the China Consumers Association, when using electric wheelchairs, consumers have clear expectations and feedback on the following aspects:

Driving stability: Consumers hope that the wheelchair is stable on different roads and over ditches and ridges, without obvious ups and downs and a sense of leaving the seat, smooth speed changes when starting and stopping, moderate speed when driving in the highest gear, and sufficient psychological security.

Ease of use of the control interface: Consumers expect the wheelchair controller interface to be large in size, with large buttons and high visibility, with obvious icon color contrast, with appropriate icon size and easy to identify, with moderate sound of the horn for prompts and warnings, suitable for the elderly to drive outdoors, with lighting design, convenient for driving at night, with appropriate joystick and button size and spacing, easy to operate, and easy to identify interface icons, text and feedback sounds.
Seat comfort: For users who sit for a long time, seat comfort is crucial. Consumers want the seat to be of appropriate size and comfortable material, and the armrests, backrests and footrests to match the body size.
Installation and maintenance convenience: For users who need to store frequently, the foldability and unfolding convenience of the electric wheelchair are important considerations.
Special functional requirements: Consumers who need to travel at night want the wheelchair to have a night lighting design, and consumers who need to climb stairs want the wheelchair to have a climbing device.

II. Reflection of consumer feedback in standard setting

(I) The process of formulating international standards
The formulation of international standards usually involves multiple stages, including demand analysis, draft formulation, public consultation, technical evaluation and final approval. During these stages, consumer feedback is widely collected and considered.

(II) Specific standards
Speed ​​limit: In order to ensure the safety of users, international standards have set clear limits on the speed of electric wheelchairs. For example, the maximum speed of indoor electric wheelchairs shall not exceed 4.5 km/h, the maximum speed of outdoor electric wheelchairs shall not exceed 6 km/h, and the maximum speed of road electric wheelchairs shall not exceed 15 km/h. These speed limits are formulated based on consumer feedback on safety and controllability.
Control interface design: The standard sets specific requirements for the design of the control interface, such as the size of the controller panel and buttons, icon design, operation feedback sound, etc., to ensure that users can easily and safely operate the electric wheelchair.
Seat comfort: The standard sets specific requirements for the size, material and design of the seat to ensure the comfort of users during long-term use.
Ease of installation and maintenance: The standard sets specific requirements for the foldability and unfolding convenience of electric wheelchairs to meet users’ needs for storage and storage.
Special functions: The standard encourages manufacturers to provide special functions such as night lighting and stair climbing devices according to consumer needs to improve the applicability and user experience of the product.

III. Collection and processing mechanism of consumer feedback
(I) Market research
Market research is an important means of collecting consumer feedback. Through questionnaires, user interviews and focus group discussions, standard setters can understand consumers’ specific needs and usage experience. For example, the China Consumers Association collected user feedback on 10 electric wheelchairs through comparative tests and published a detailed report.

(II) The role of consumer associations
Consumer associations play an important role in standard setting. They help consumers choose suitable products by publishing comparative test results, consumer tips and policy recommendations, and also provide valuable feedback to standard setters. For example, the electric wheelchair comparative test results released by the China Consumers Association detailed the performance of each brand of wheelchair in different usage scenarios, providing empirical data for standard setting.

(III) Online reviews and social media
Online reviews and social media are also important channels for collecting consumer feedback. By analyzing users’ online comments and feedback, standard setters can promptly understand the advantages and disadvantages of products and adjust the content of standards. For example, many electric wheelchair manufacturers collect user feedback through social media platforms and improve product design in a timely manner.

IV. Challenges and directions for improvement in standard setting

(I) Challenges
Although consumer feedback has been widely considered in standard setting, there are still some challenges:

Diversity and complexity of feedback: The needs and usage scenarios of different users vary greatly. Standard setters need to take into account special needs while meeting the needs of most users.

Speed ​​of technological update: Electric wheelchair technology continues to advance, new functions and designs continue to emerge, and standard setters need to update standards in a timely manner to meet the needs of technological development.

International coordination: There are differences in standards between different countries and regions. International coordination work is complex and requires joint efforts from all parties to ensure the consistency and compatibility of standards.

(II) Directions for improvement
Strengthen consumer participation: Further expand channels for consumer participation in standard setting to ensure that more user feedback can be collected and considered.

Dynamic standard update: Establish a dynamic standard update mechanism to timely reflect technological progress and changes in consumer needs.

International cooperation: Strengthen international cooperation and coordination, promote global unified electric wheelchair standards, reduce trade barriers, and improve the international competitiveness of products.

V. Conclusion
In the process of formulating international standards for electric wheelchairs, the voice of consumers is widely considered. Through market research, reports from consumer associations, online reviews and other channels, standard setters have collected a lot of consumer feedback and reflected it in the standards. This feedback not only improves product safety and user experience, but also promotes the healthy development of the industry. Although there are some challenges, the standard setting process can be further improved by strengthening consumer participation, dynamic standard updates and international cooperation to ensure that the development of the electric wheelchair market meets consumer needs and expectations.