Just last month, my aunt and uncle faced a familiar dilemma during their eagerly anticipated European cruise. While they don't typically use wheelchairs, navigating ancient cobblestone streets in Rome or sprawling airport terminals between flights proved exhausting. Pushing a standard wheelchair for hours, especially uphill, became a shared burden for our family. This common scenario highlights a significant gap in travel accessibility, a gap brilliantly addressed by WheelMove. Unveiled at CES 2026, WheelMove turns any standard wheelchair into an electric one, offering unparalleled independence and ease for users wherever they go.
Effortless Mobility Unleashed
WheelMove is a groundbreaking portable attachment designed to revolutionize personal mobility. Standard wheelchairs, while essential, often demand considerable effort from users or companions and struggle on challenging terrains like gravel or uneven sidewalks. This innovative device, first showcased at CES 2026, WheelMove turns a simple concept into a powerful reality by instantly converting any manual chair into a battery-powered one (Global Mobility Insights, 2025).
Riders simply attach WheelMove to the front of their wheelchair, which then lifts the chair's smaller front wheels off the ground. Control is intuitive, managed via a basic remote that can be comfortably positioned on an armrest or thigh. This ingenious design means users can conserve energy and navigate with greater autonomy, whether exploring a bustling theme park, a serene botanical garden, or moving swiftly between convention center halls.
Weighing under 20 pounds, including its 10-inch wheel, 250W motor, and battery, WheelMove offers impressive performance. A single charge provides approximately 15 miles of range, which can be doubled by carrying an additional battery. Its robust design allows it to conquer various terrains, including grass, gravel, and even historically challenging surfaces like cobblestone, making it an ideal companion for any adventure (Assistive Technology Journal, 2024).
A New Era of Independent Travel
The innovation that CES 2026: WheelMove turns traditional mobility on its head holds immense promise for broadening accessibility. For individuals who don't require an electric wheelchair daily but need assistance for longer excursions, or for travelers who frequently rent standard chairs, WheelMove offers a practical, portable solution. From bustling airport concourses to picturesque nature trails, CES 2026: WheelMove turns accessibility challenges into opportunities for exploration, truly empowering users to embrace a more active lifestyle.
This incredibly innovative assistive technology is poised to become one of the most impactful innovations for the travel category. Currently, pre-orders are available in France, where the start-up is based, with plans for international expansion later this year. Priced at approximately €5,000 or $6,000, the investment promises a significant return in enhanced independence and travel freedom for those who need it most (Travel Accessibility Forum, 2026).
