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Help with wheelchair software

Ahoy!

I got a new phone yesterday. I also use a wheelchair. The wheels have an app called "e-motion M25" which I used on my old phone. I patched it using lucky patcher since most functions (turn wheels on, cruise control, remote to drive the wheelchair to my current chair) are behind an incredible expensive paywall.

Since I don't own the wheels (they're technically still insurance property) and the software isn't super reliable, I won't pay over €300 just to use my wheels.

But I can't seem to patch it on my new phone, even when sharing the patched app directly from my old one. The store simply won't open. I've not been rooted since forever and prefer not to root at all, since it was possible to do so on my old phone.

Would anybody care to help me out or give me some tips on where to look? Thanks in advance!

UPDATE after spending my entire morning on the floor, I installed older versions of the app until I found one that worked with luckypatcher. I know it's a small chance but if someone using the same wheels finds this post, you have to figure out how to download luckypatcher and use this version of the app. In lucky patcher create a multi patch APK and make sure to turn off "billing" in the second screen. When opening the store, be careful not to scroll to the complete bottom or else the app wil crash. Buy each pack individually and lucky patcher will handle things from there.

To every commenter: thank you. Lemmings are the best and capitalism is the devil.

103 comments
  • literal predatory behavior against society's most vulnerable members. God, disgusting.

    Calling out this company that produces the e-motion, Alber GmbH. FUCK them.

  • 300 to operate wheels that you don't even own? That's extortion, right?

    • I'm also disabled. We tend to refer to this as the "disability tax". Anything that could potentially be billed to insurance or for which there are no other options is incredibly expensive. If we can't afford it or don't have insurance, we're always welcome to go die under a bridge somewhere. Gotta pay for the owner's yacht.

    • Or I can just use the setting 1 and setting 2 nu carrying a remote control on a lanyard constantly while there's an actual app available but nooooo

  • Jesus fucking mother of Christ.

    Ok, I'm going to skip my indignation.

    I'm not an app developer or a wheel chair person. That said, we need some info to help you better.

    • What phone? Android or iOS?
    • link to the app (and a link it's APK or whatever iPhones equivalent to an APK would be)
    • instructions on how you register, e.g. is registration tied to your phone, the wheelchair, or both?

    Here is some general hacking advice:

    • check online for your wheelchairs "provider" manual. I "hacked" my CPAP machine a few years back. My doctor forgot to turn on heated tubing and the setting was hidden behind a "provider" menu. Chances are good that there will be a similar manual for your wheelchair.
    • if you haven't already, search for the make and model of your wheelchair and see if there are forums or discussion boards
    • typically, physical access is the best access. Depending on how your phone communicates with the chair, you might able to spy on the signals that it uses. My guess is Bluetooth. It probably is encrypted but medical devices are notoriously easy skimpy on their tech security. Might be worth a try
    • If you have the tools and the knowledge, consider taking apart the wheelchair to access the physical components. Information like the processor, chip set, etc will make it easier to understand how it works. While you might expect custom boards and software, more and more devices are going the Raspberry Pi or Pico route because they are cheaper to manufacturer than to do a whole custom board. If it's a run of the mill consumer board, you have a lot more attack vectors.

    Often settings like these are based on PKI(Public Key Infrastructure), meaning that the program on your wheelchair likely knows the public key for the company and will test any input to change the settings will require the private key. Again, generally speaking.

    But also generally speaking, medical equipment, especially consumer equipment, has to deal with the lowest common denominator, meaning people who don't have apps, who don't know what a smart phone is, etc. Because of that, my hunch is that the setting is in plain text and you just need to change it.

    You also have to remember that the people setting this up are often in doctors offices, which means it must be easy to do because time is of the essence. The doctor would not recommend their product if it takes more than a few minutes to set up.

    I'm sorry I can't give you better more specific advice but hopefully you can figure this out.

    • Thank you for the detailed reply! Details:

      • Android (pixel 8)
      • play store link
      • When buying the pack, the functions are tied to the wheels itself so not a google or other account

      I did find the mechanic manual a few years back so I could get into the "professionals only" menu and I was able to tweak the push sensitivity which my provider couldn't figure out ironically. The packs however are a different add-on. The only thing I can find online are people asking if it's worth the money, or people who bought it. Not really a popular hacking device it seems.

      It sucks that I'm not technical enough to open up the wheels - i also find it a bit scary since I literally need this thing everyday and my provider is already neglecting their customers.

  • Jesus that sucks so much. It looks like you have a solution for now but I bet there are some folks here and elsewhere who would be all in on reverse engineering the shit out of any part of that system.

    • That's why I updated the post with the link which version does work, just in case. There probably aren't a lot of disabled pirates using this specific model wheels and that's why there's no solution on the Googles. I truly wish I was smart enough to learn all this crap just to start a community of helping people hacking their accessibility tools.

  • Thank you! This may be helpful for my sister in the future.

    • These are the Alber e-motion M25 wheels so if you ever need more help in the future don't be shy to dm me :)

  • Was your old phone rooted? You might have patched the odex files instead of the apk as others have pointed out. And it might be that modifying the actual installed apk file changes the signatures that the app checks for, while it assumes the odex files are correct and that it just works. I've seen some apps check for modifications from Lucky Patcher (even with odex patches), but not nearly all apps go to that kind of length, and it seems that this app doesn't check. Disclaimer, I never delved deep into the actual working of this stuff, this is based on what I've noticed when I tried patching apps on a rooted vs non-rooted device. I think you might be outta luck unless you root your phone. Godspeed either way.

  • I just ordered a pair of these wheels on eBay when I saw this post. I hope this works when I get them, cuz I was ticked off to see the $330 unlock price for the app! Also, any tips for these wheels?

    • You can always use my older app trick to unlock all the features and if you need help I can add you on signal messenger to help out more in detail. On/off can be done on the wheels, but it will turn on to the last used setting (1 or 2). If you have the remote, you can use that to change the modes. 1 is indoor use and 2 outdoor.

      General wheel tips:

      • Be sure to practice a lot in practice mode and mode 1.
      • Always use some anti tipping wheels on your chair since these wheels can go whack sometimes if you push too quickly/hard or get stuck (ex: door). I always use mine except when using a handbike.
      • Be very careful changing the parameters and test each change you make well. It's a sensitive boi.
      • Password for getting into the 'professional' mode is $AlBr-MtN25!
      • Thank you! I did download the version you linked as soon as I saw the post. So the app is on my phone & hopefully it'll work with lucky. App doesn't do much until it's paired. No remote, so the expensive app was so irritating to see, with it locking away basic functions. And, wow, good find on the pro password!

        I'm actually kinda nervous about them. Ebay & out of pocket isn't the ideal startup when buying something like this. I have MS & RA, so I need the chair for balance issues mostly, but weak muscles & joints too. I can get around my house with leaning on walls, so they are for outside the house & had to fit in a tiny smart car boot. I really hope they minimize the effort it takes to push myself forward. I also will have to figure out how to walk a dog with them. Scary to hear they're super sensitive.

        I've heard the push rims break a lot from some of the reviews. Manual says to never lift em by them or lay em on that side. They really that delicate?

        I mainly only go to a dog park, so I'm going to be testing how "water" resistant they are for sure there.

        I've been using a FireFly 2.5, that's a front wheel battery powered hookup, with a big knobby wheel, so I never took it to stores or anything. I expect this to be much more useable for me. I haven't been in a store in like 4 years now.

        Practice mode huh?, I'll be sure to use that. I need to find my antitippers. They were the first thing I took off my chair when I got it.

        I can't find any info on the brackets that are put on the chair, except an expert must put them on. They can't be that crazy to put on, can they?

        Sorry about the random questions. I really can't wait to get them. I've wanted them for a few years now. Thanks.

103 comments