WingLabs Wheelchair Tilt Monitor – User Manual

Model: WL-WC-TL28 · Firmware: 0.1.0 · For manual and powered wheelchairs

Download the manual (PDF)

01 · Getting to know your tilt monitor

A compact touch-screen display for your wheelchair. It shows in real time how far the chair leans forwards or backwards and to the left or right, and warns you with colours and sound before it reaches an angle you consider unsafe. It measures with its own motion sensor and needs no connection to the wheelchair other than USB power.

Reading the display

The screen has two panels. They have no titles: the drawing of the wheelchair tells you which is which.

• Left panel, chair seen from the side: forward / back. How far the chair leans forwards or backwards. The arrow points up when the chair leans forwards (for example facing down a ramp) and down when it leans backwards (facing up a ramp).
• Right panel, chair seen from the front: lateral. How far the chair leans to the left or to the right, for example across a side slope or a cambered pavement. The arrow points to the side the chair leans to.
• The angle is shown in whole degrees. Below 1 degree no arrow is shown.
• The drawing and the slope line tilt with the chair. They move twice as far as the real angle, up to 20 degrees, so that small slopes are easy to see. The slope line takes the colour of the status: green, amber or red.
• The bar shows how close the angle is to your limit for that direction (section 07). A full bar means the DANGER angle has been reached.

Status indication

The status at the top left always shows the worse of the two directions:

• NORMAL (green). Both angles are below their warning angles.
• WARNING (amber). An angle has passed its warning angle. Its panel gets an amber frame, and a short double beep sounds.
• DANGER (flashing red). An angle has passed its danger angle. The status and the frame of that panel flash red and the unit beeps continuously. Stop and move back to flatter ground.
• SENSOR ERROR (red). The motion sensor has stopped delivering data. The angles show — and the display must not be trusted. Switch the monitor off and on; if it persists, see Troubleshooting.

Light and dark theme

The display can be shown with a light or a dark background. Choose the one that is easier to read for you in Settings, Theme (section 04). The dark theme is less bright in the evening and at night.

02 · Installation

The monitor measures its own orientation, so how and where you mount it matters. Ask your wheelchair dealer or a technician to fit it if you are not sure.

Where to mount it

Choose one of three positions. Whichever you choose, tell the monitor afterwards in the control panel (Mount card, section 05), so that it knows which way is forward.

• Front. In front of the user, for example on a swing-away arm or a tray, with the screen facing the user. This is the factory setting.
• Left armrest or Right armrest. On the side of the armrest, with the screen turned towards the user, facing across the chair.

Mounting rules

• Mount it rigidly with a bracket or clamp made for wheelchairs. It must not wobble, swing or rattle: any movement of the unit shows up on the display.
• Keep the long side of the screen horizontal. The screen may stand upright or lean back towards the user, but it must not lie flat. Whatever angle you choose, do not change it after installation.
• Keep it out of the way. It must not get in the way of transfers in and out of the chair, of the joystick or other controls, of folding the chair, or of the user’s view. Make sure it cannot be knocked off in doorways.
• Protect it from rain and heat. The monitor is not waterproof. Do not leave it in direct sun for long periods.

Display orientation

The monitor leaves the factory set for the USB-C port on the left side of the screen. If your cable route is easier with the port on the right, change the setting once:

1. Connect to the control panel (section 05).
2. In the Display Orientation card, tap USB-C right. The screen turns over at once; the touch screen follows.
3. Turn the unit over so that the USB-C port is on the right and the display reads the right way up again, and mount it.

The setting is stored permanently. A level reference stored with Calibrate level (section 06) stays valid in both orientations. To go back, tap USB-C left and turn the unit back.

Power

The monitor is powered by USB-C at 5 V. Connect it with a USB-C cable to the USB charging port of a powered wheelchair, to a good-quality USB power bank, or to another 5 V USB supply that can deliver at least 1 A. The unit starts automatically when power is applied; there is no power switch.

• Route the cable along the frame so it cannot catch in the wheels, the brakes or the folding mechanism, and cannot be pulled during transfers.
• Use 5 V USB only. Never connect the unit directly to the wheelchair’s battery or wiring. Damage caused by a wrong power source is not covered by the warranty (section 12).
• Power bank. On a manual wheelchair, fix the power bank securely, for example in a bag under the seat, and recharge it regularly.

03 · Power-up and calibration

From power-on to the live display takes about 15 seconds. Keep the wheelchair still during this time if you can; the user may stay seated.

1. Start screen. WHEELCHAIR TILT MONITOR and WINGLABS are shown.
2. System check. The display, the touch panel and the display memory are tested; each line ends with OK.
3. Motion sensor. QMI8658 IMU … OK and a progress bar to 100%.
4. Calibration. CALIBRATING IMU – KEEP DEVICE STILL. The unit measures the sensor bias. With a stored level reference (section 06) it shows STORED LEVEL; without one it shows LEVEL REFERENCE and takes the current position as level. It ends with CALIBRATION OK.
5. Ready. READY – WINGLABS – Roll Safe – TILT MONITOR, or your personalised start screen if one was installed for you.
6. Live display. The two panels appear and follow the chair.

Starting while moving

If the monitor is switched on, or restarts after a power interruption, while the chair is moving, it cannot measure the sensor bias and shows CALIBRATION RETRY. With a stored level reference it then continues by itself after about 10 seconds, showing CHAIR MOVING – STORED CALIBRATION, and the readings are referenced to your stored level as usual.

Without a stored level reference it keeps retrying until the chair stops. Store one with Calibrate level (section 06).

04 · The touch screen

Everything you need day to day can be set on the monitor itself. Tap the gear button at the top right of the live display to open Settings.

Settings

• Lateral limit. The DANGER angle for leaning left or right. Tap minus or plus to change it by 1 degree; hold the button to change it faster. The WARNING angle moves with it by the same amount.
• Forward/back limit. The same for leaning forwards or backwards.
• Alarm sound. Tap the row to switch the alert beeps on (green) or off. The colours and frames on the screen always stay active.
• Calibrate level. Stores the level of your wheelchair (section 06). The row shows Hold still…, then Level saved, Moved – retry or Check mount.
• Theme. Light or Dark (section 01).

05 · Connecting over Wi-Fi

A small control panel built into the monitor lets you view live values, choose the mounting position and display orientation, set the level reference, the forward/back offset and the tilt alerts, and update the firmware from any phone, tablet or computer. No app and no internet connection are needed.

Connect

1. Switch the monitor on with the wheelchair parked. Its Wi-Fi network starts immediately.
2. Within 60 seconds, open the Wi-Fi settings on your phone or computer and join the network WingLabs. The password is winglabs.
3. Open the control panel. Most devices open it automatically as a sign-in page. If not, open a browser and go to http://192.168.4.1
4. Stay within 1 to 2 metres of the monitor. The Wi-Fi runs at very low power on purpose.

When Wi-Fi switches off

The Wi-Fi is meant for setting up the monitor with the chair parked. It switches off automatically:

• After 60 seconds if no device has connected.
• When the last device disconnects, once those first 60 seconds have passed.
• After 10 minutes in any case.
• When the unit detects fast turning, for example when the chair turns sharply or the unit is handled. Wi-Fi then stays off until the next power-up.

To open the control panel again, switch the monitor off and on.

The control panel

• Lateral and Forward / Back show the live angles to one decimal, refreshed several times per second. They turn amber or red when they pass the alert angles.
• Device shows the product, firmware version, serial number (Device ID), model and the authenticity status. A genuine WingLabs unit shows AUTHENTIC.
• Display Orientation selects whether the USB-C port is on the left or on the right (section 02).
• Mount selects where the unit sits on the chair: Left armrest, Front or Right armrest (section 02). After changing it, store the level again (section 06).
• Level Reference stores the level of your wheelchair with Set Level, or clears it (section 06).
• Forward/Back Offset is a fine correction of the forward/back angle (section 06).
• Tilt Alerts sets the warning and danger angles, switches the alert sound on or off and plays a test sound (section 07).
• Maintenance opens the firmware update page (section 08).

06 · Setting the level

The monitor needs to know what level means for your wheelchair. Store it once after installing the unit; from then on every reading is measured from that reference, wherever you switch the monitor on.

Calibrate level

1. Park on level ground, both front to back and side to side, for example a flat indoor floor. Check it with a smartphone level app if in doubt.
2. Sit as usual. The user should be seated in their normal position, with the usual cushion, backrest angle and bags, because they change how the chair sits.
3. Keep the chair still. Nobody should move the chair or touch the unit.
4. Tap Calibrate level in Settings on the screen, or Set Level in the Level Reference card of the control panel.
5. Wait about 2 seconds. Hold still… is shown, then Level saved (in the control panel: Level saved). Both angles now read 0.

Forward/back offset

Forward/Back Offset is a fine correction in degrees added to the forward/back angle. With a stored level reference it is normally left at 0. You can use it to fine-tune the reading if the floor where you calibrated was not perfectly level.

1. Connect to the control panel (section 05).
2. Type the value in the Forward/Back Offset field, in degrees with one decimal, for example 1.5. The allowed range is -45.0 to +45.0. Positive values add forward lean; negative values add backward lean.
3. Tap Save Offset. The confirmation Offset saved and applied appears and the display changes immediately.

07 · Tilt alerts

The monitor warns you, on screen and with a tone, when the chair leans more than you choose. Every wheelchair, seating system and user is different, so the angles are set for each chair.

How the alerts work

There are two levels, each with its own angle for lateral lean (left or right) and for forward/back lean:

• Short bumps are ignored. An alert starts only when the angle stays past its limit for about a third of a second, so a kerb or a door sill does not set it off.
• Alerts clear by themselves once the angle is about 2 degrees back below the limit.
• Forward/back alerts use the displayed angle, including your forward/back offset (section 06).

Factory settings

These are cautious starting values, not the limits of your wheelchair. Set them for the chair and the user as described below.

Choose your angles

The angle at which a wheelchair becomes unstable depends on the chair, its seating and set-up, anti-tip devices, the user’s weight and posture, and bags or equipment hung on it. A backpack on the push handles, a tilted seat or a reclined backrest change it considerably.

• Start from the chair’s data. Use the maximum safe slope given by the wheelchair manufacturer for the current set-up, and the advice of the user’s clinician or seating specialist.
• Set Danger well below that limit, leaving a margin for uneven ground, kerbs and wheels dropping into holes.
• Set Warning a few degrees lower still, so there is time to stop or choose another route before Danger.
• Check them again whenever the seating, the set-up or the equipment carried on the chair changes.

Change the angles

On the screen: open Settings and use minus and plus on Lateral limit and Forward/back limit (section 04). This sets the Danger angle; the Warning angle follows.

In the control panel, to set all four angles yourself:

1. Connect to the control panel (section 05) with the chair parked.
2. In the Tilt Alerts card, type the four angles in degrees: Warning and Danger for Lateral and for Fwd/Back. Each angle must be between 2 and 45 degrees, and Danger at least 1 degree above Warning.
3. Tap Save Alerts. The confirmation Alerts saved and applied appears and the new angles are used immediately.
4. To go back to the factory settings, tap Defaults.

Alert sound

• Alarm sound. Switches the beeps on or off, in Settings on the screen or with the Alert Sound switch of the control panel. The on-screen alerts always remain active. The sound is on from the factory.
• Test Sound. In the control panel: plays a sample of the warning beep and then the danger beeping, even when the sound is off, so you can check that you hear it in your surroundings.

08 · Updating the firmware

WingLabs may release new firmware with improvements. Updates are installed over Wi-Fi from the control panel and take about one minute.

Before you start

• Use only an official WingLabs firmware file (a .bin file) made for your model, WL-WC-TL28. Installing an older or a different firmware is not supported.
• Save the file on the phone or computer you will use.
• Have the administrator credentials ready: user root, password flysafe.
• Park the wheelchair and keep the power to the monitor stable for the whole update.

Install the update

1. Connect to the control panel (section 05) and tap Firmware Update in the Maintenance card.
2. Sign in with the administrator credentials when your browser asks for them.
3. Tap Choose File and select the firmware .bin file.
4. Tap Update Firmware. The progress bar fills while the file is transferred and checked.
5. Wait for Firmware Updated. The monitor restarts by itself and calibrates again, so keep the chair still.
6. Check the new version: reconnect to the WingLabs network and confirm the Firmware value on the control panel.

09 · Safety

• An aid, not a safety device. The tilt monitor shows angles and warns at the angles you set (section 07). It is not a medical device, it does not prevent the chair from tipping, and it does not know when your chair will actually tip over. A chair can tip before any alert, for example when a wheel drops off a kerb or into a hole, or when the user leans or reaches out. Always stay within the limits given by the wheelchair manufacturer, use anti-tip devices where fitted, and use your own judgement.
• Never rely on the absence of an alert. No alert does not mean the slope is safe. Angles set too high, the sound switched off or a monitor switched on on a slope can all keep it silent.
• Keep your attention on your surroundings. Glance at the display only when it is safe to do so.
• Set up the monitor only with the chair parked. Do not change settings or use the control panel while moving.
• Readings while moving. Starting, stopping and bumps can make the readings swing briefly. The readings are most reliable when moving slowly and steadily, which is how slopes should be negotiated.
• Check regularly that both angles read close to 0 on level ground. If they do not, calibrate the level again (section 06).
• Carers and clinicians. If the user cannot see or hear the alerts, or cannot react to them, a carer should set up and supervise the use of the monitor.
• Mount it safely. Make sure it cannot come loose, does not get in the way of transfers and controls, and does not block the user’s view (section 02).
• Protect the unit from impacts, rain and other liquids, and prolonged direct sunlight.

10 · Troubleshooting

11 · Specifications

12 · Warranty

WingLabs warrants this tilt monitor against defects in materials and workmanship for 12 months from the date of purchase.

What is covered

If the monitor fails during the warranty period because of a manufacturing defect, while it has been installed, powered and used as described in this manual, WingLabs will repair or replace it, at its choice, free of charge. A repaired or replacement unit is covered for the remainder of the original warranty period.

What is not covered

The warranty does not cover damage or faults caused by:

• A wrong power source, including connecting the unit directly to the wheelchair’s battery or wiring, faulty or unsuitable USB supplies, and faults of the wheelchair’s electrical system.
• Accidents, tip-overs, impacts and falls, rain and other liquids, dust, heat or prolonged direct sunlight.
• Opening, modifying or repairing the unit, or any attempt to do so, by anyone other than WingLabs.
• Installing firmware that is not an official WingLabs firmware for your model.
• Use outside its purpose, which is a visual and audible aid showing the tilt of a wheelchair, and normal wear or cosmetic damage.

Limitation of liability

The tilt monitor is an aid only (section 09). To the fullest extent permitted by law, WingLabs is not liable for any loss of or damage to wheelchairs, other equipment, property or persons, including tip-overs, falls and injuries, arising from the use of the monitor, its incorrect installation or settings, or a wrong power source. Where liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the purchase price of the monitor.

How to make a claim

1. Contact your WingLabs dealer within the warranty period and describe the fault.
2. Quote the serial number (Device ID, shown on the control panel, section 05) and keep your proof of purchase.
3. Return the unit only after your dealer has confirmed how to send it.