11/1/2022
Fresno, CA and Nashville, TN - November 1, 2022
Officials with LUCI and Sunrise Medical®, a world leader in advanced assistive mobility solutions, announced today an agreement that will offer patients within the Veterans Health Administration (VA) the option to install LUCI's state-of-the-art safety technology system on QUICKIE® power wheelchairs as they are built at the Sunrise Medical factory. It's the first agreement of its kind for LUCI, which launched in 2020 and announced its compatibility with the QUICKIE line of chairs in July 2021, after more than a year of collaboration between the two companies.
With one of the most comprehensive advanced rehabilitation power wheelchair offerings in the world, Sunrise Medical strives to provide solutions for almost any chair driver's unique needs. Powerchair drivers within the VA system will have the ability to pre-install LUCI onto the QUICKIE Q300 M Mini, Q500 M, and Q700 M chair models. Clinicians within the VA will be able to request the technology-equipped chair with one easy order form.
"We're excited and grateful that Sunrise Medical is so attuned to the needs of their drivers, and particularly to the needs of America's veterans, to form this innovative partnership and help QUICKIE drivers access LUCI's life-changing technology," said Barry Dean, LUCI co-founder and CEO. "We've been fortunate to call them our partners for more than a year, and as our teams have continued to collaborate, we've continued to find great ways to fulfill our joint mission of improving people's lives. This is an important step forward in what continues to be a strong and successful partnership."
Sunrise Medical opened a production facility in Nashville in late 2021, where LUCI products can be installed on the three most popular QUICKIE chair models as they are built. VA patients will be able to request and receive LUCI on their chairs beginning November 1, 2022.
"With features like drop-off prevention, collision avoidance, and care team alerts, LUCI has made power wheelchairs a safer option for thousands of people, and it was important to us to put America's veterans first by giving them convenient and timely access to this technology straight from our factory," said Larry Jackson, President of Sunrise Medical North America. "This announcement reflects our commitment to ensuring QUICKIE power chair drivers have access to the technology they need, delivered as soon as possible. We're excited to make LUCI an easy and convenient option for veterans to choose."
Combined with a first-of-its kind software platform, LUCI's hardware mounts onto a power wheelchair between the power base and seat. The LUCI safety system uses sensor-fusion technology that combines data from cameras, ultrasonics, and radar into a single, 360-degree view of the world to help drivers avoid collisions and dangerous drop-offs while maintaining personalized driving control. Additionally, through its cloud-based capabilities, LUCI can also monitor and alert drivers and caregivers to low battery, possible tipping scenarios, and other important updates regarding the chair and driver.
About LUCI: Based in Nashville, with R&D headquarters in Denver, LUCI was founded by Barry and Jered Dean, brothers who were driven to innovate from personal experience, and committed to creating change for people living with disabilities. LUCI's industry accolades include TIME's Best Inventions of 2020, Popular Science's "Best of What's New," a CES Award of 2020, and Mobility Management's "Smart Technology" Product Award. Learn more at LUCI.com
About Sunrise Medical: Committed to improving people's lives, Sunrise Medical is a world leader in the development, design, manufacturing, and distribution of innovative, high-quality assistive mobility devices and services. Distributed in more than 130 countries under its own 18 proprietary brands, the key products include manual and power wheelchairs, power assist products, pediatric and geriatric therapeutic devices, mobility scooters, daily living aids, and more. Operating in 23 countries, Sunrise Medical Group is headquartered in Malsch, Germany and employs over 2,800 associates worldwide.