Japan Startup to Sell Stair-Climbing Electric Wheelchair in 2026

A Japanese startup plans to launch an all-terrain electric wheelchair in 2026 that enables users to climb and descend stairs and board trains and buses without assistance.

Lifehub is also developing a new model capable of safely navigating escalators without assistance—potentially making it the first wheelchair in the world with such a capability. I Photo: Kyodo News

The company also aims to develop a future model that can navigate escalators, Kyodo News reported. The wheelchair, developed by Lifehub Inc., normally runs on four wheels on flat surfaces but uses caterpillar tracks to handle stairs, slopes, and rough terrain.

Called the Avest, the wheelchair can automatically adjust its seat angle while ascending or descending stairs with inclines of up to 40 degrees, according to Lifehub. It can travel up to 40 kilometers on a single charge.

While other stair-climbing wheelchairs already exist, many require users to face backward during ascent. Lifehub’s design improves on this with a more user-friendly orientation.

The company plans to offer 50 units of the launch edition, priced at 1.5 million yen (around $10,000). In Japan, electric wheelchairs are exempt from sales tax.

Lifehub is also developing a new model capable of safely navigating escalators without assistance—potentially making it the first wheelchair in the world with such a capability. At a press event, Lifehub CEO Hiroshi Nakano stated his ambition is to "solve the challenges faced by wheelchair users with our technologies."