It barely worked outdoors. Indoors, it could not even manage interior door thresholds. When Per Udden brought this to the attention of the supplier, the response was that it would be impossible to design an electric wheelchair agile enough for use indoors, but still strong enough to use outdoors. He was convinced otherwise, and set out to make a better chair himself. Together with hospital machinist, Bert Engman, Dr. Udden began his painstaking work in the hospital basement.
Nobody really knows how many days, nights, and weekends passed.
Neither Dr. Udden nor Bert Engman had any experience in product manufacturing. They were simply driven by the strong belief that they were doing the right thing. The original Permobil was offered to the public. While the first chair was nothing like today's lightweight, sophisticated models, it was still revolutionary in its time. It offered a front wheel-drive design, a top speed of 3.5 miles per hour, and the ability to take curbs in stride.