Being bound to a wheelchair usually means that movement is automatically limited. There are some places one just can’t really get to. But one carmaker dares to make accessible what was once unreachable.
At my coverage of the mobility logistics and technologies during the opening of the Paris Olympics, I was introduced to some impressive “last-mile” transport solutions for athletes with movement constraints. These were developed, designed, and engineered by Toyota, the worldwide Olympic partner of the International Olympic Committee and Paralympic Committee. 
I was also able to interview the man behind one such personal mobility device, the Yosh-E, a 100-percent electric puller for a manual wheelchair, or what one may call a virtual “third-wheel.”
Simone Scarfi, a mechanical engineer who works for Toyota Motor Europe, and two other colleagues, are behind the Yosh-E project, which is also co-developed with Austrian company Klaxon.
Yosh-E basically converts a mechanical wheelchair into a battery-powered electric one, enabling it to run up to 8 kph for up to 25 km, with 120 kg maximum load capacity. It has enough power to climb up a six-degree maximum slope.
Thought up in a bar
Scarfi narrated the origin of the Yosh-e. “We (Toyota Motor Europe employees) were basically in a bar. I was discussing with two colleagues about mobility in the city, and how to make mobility more accessible for Paris 2024. By coincidence, we saw a person in a wheelchair, then another person with a step scooter, passing in front of us. And we wondered, wouldn’t it be cool to have something like a step scooter also for people with wheelchairs?”
He continued, “By coincidence, Toyota Motor Europe launched an internal competition, called ‘Your Voice for Innovation.’ I told my colleagues to propose the idea to this internal competition. Guess what?
We won. We received the blessings of our management to proceed with the development.”
When the first prototype was finalized, it had a handlebar with brakes and acceleration control that was operated by the hands. When the group reviewed the prototype with the Belgian Olympic Committee, Scarfi said one of the athletes pointed out, ‘“Your product is fantastic but I cannot use it. I am tetraplegic. I cannot pull the brakes.’”
And so the final version of the Yosh-e came out, which he demonstrated for me at the Inclusive Mobility Park in Paris.
The Yosh-e accelerates and brakes by pulling and pushing the handle bar, respectively, with one hand. It can speed up when a button on top is pushed. Even a user with no fingers can do it. There’s also a button for the power, headlight, and reverse. There’s cruise control, which can be activated only in certain cases, and a lock. Maneuverability is exceptionally easy with its capability to rotate 90 degrees.
Scarfi quipped: “We wanted to go the extra mile. One of the founders had a project with Toyota Gazoo Racing for developing a prosthetic legging carbon fiber. And he proposed, ‘why don’t we work with Toyota GR?’ So we came up with a GR version, the Yosh-E limited edition, which is much faster.”
Scarfi said that the Yosh-E for the Olympic Games runs up to 8 kph, while another version goes up to 20kph. The GR version goes for up to 40 kph.
“For the GR version, the wheel is bigger for the DC electric motor. There’s a lot of carbon fiber. The battery is bigger. The Yosh-E becomes purposely heavier because the handling is increasing quite a lot. It’s a dream,” Scarfi said.
The Yosh-E is just one of the many personal mobility devices Toyota and its manufacturing allies have developed to support the athletes and visitors of the Olympics and Paralympic Games in Paris. Together with its program to support over 250 Global Team Toyota athletes, these initiatives form the core of the Japanese carmaker’s “Start Your Impossible” campaign.
A project borne of empathy
I asked Scarfi if he had a loved one who was movement impaired, that would have inspired him to pursue this project. He replied, “No. But when I see people with limited movements, I see them applying a lot of effort for movements that would be easy and natural for us, that triggers my empathy.”
He went on, “The moment you talk to them, know about their difficulties, challenges, and the barriers they have to face, then you really understand why this freedom to move is so important.”
