I could definitely see like a gnome tinkerer coming up with something like a wheel chair that, after numerous iterations, looks pretty similar to a normal wheel chair.

Ok, start with a chair that literally just has 4 wheels on the feet. Gonna need a way to push it so put handles on the back.

Ok that’s pretty unstable and the test subject fell off repeatedly, damaging several important pieces of equipment and also themselves. Ok so what if we moved the back wheels out a bit and made them a little bigger. Ok pretty stable, gonna need arm rests though the test subject keeps falling off.

Ok now they stay in, and it doesn’t flop about, but it needs two people to move, what if… Hmmm… Ok we need some kind of drive mechanism that can be both powered AND steered with just the hands. Well this is wildly over budget with all the gears… What if we just push the wheels directly with the hands. Gotta make them a lot bigger and put a handle on…