The goals
Create a solution for electric propulsion of a manual wheelchair with a range of about 10 km (about 7 miles). Try to stick to existing technology and keep the cost down as I personally pay for everything :P. If this solution works, the plans for it will be made available free of charge, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY-SA). This license enables everyone to construct their own, for personal use as well as commercial use, and allows for everyone to add their own improvements.
Current status
I have bought:
- a wheelchair
- an electric scooter The first meeting of those two is captured in this story's headline photo! The electric scooter now has enough battery power to run for about 6 meters (about 20 feet). The intended range is more like 10 kilometers (6 to 7 miles). So we will need new batteries! I have also been building a (wheelchair accessible) workbench, to be able to work on this and future projects while sitting in my wheelchair. Find photos of that on my Instagram!
Next steps
Now we will have to find new and better batteries for this scooter, to get the prototype up to speed and range. The scooter's original batteries were very, very small lead-acid batteries. The first step will be to replace these with newer, better batteries. The wheelchair will need a (simple) connection to the scooter. This connection should also lift the caster wheels (front wheels) off the ground, so they do not interfere with the ride.
This connection should ideally be built with off-the-shelf parts, so it will be easy and cheap to build your own. The connector should use the scooter's seat attachment, so every scooter with this type of seat (ie many) are compatible.
Want to help?
So you want to help? That's so cool! You could help think about a solid, easy to use and cheap to build connection. I will be uploading a number of photographs, check out https://www.patreon.com/heycrip for more information about the project. And to find more technical info, see the tech project page at heycrip: http://heycrip.com/scooter If that seems to complicated (or you just don't feel like thinking technical stuf at the moment :P), check out https://www.patreon.com/heycrip for others ways to help out! You will get our undying love and eternal gratitude, as well as mentions in heycrip's videos and website! And once the plans are available, everyone who uses them will be in your debt, and you will know that you have helped many achieve a greater level of independence. You cannot put a price on that, now can you? If you have an old but working electric scooter that you care to donate, get in touch with us so we can arrange it's journey. If it all works out, we can hook it up to a wheelchair and then give it away, either in a raffle or maybe to someone with the needs for one, but without the means to get it! So this is not a finished story but it is not just a call for funds either. I don't like begging for money so I won't, and I will go on with the project regardless, just with my own money and it will take longer :P. If you can help in any way, that will be greatly appreciated! Keep an eye on heycrip to stay updated with the project (and other projects that promote independence for us crips). If you have any questions be sure to find us on https://www.patreon.com/heycrip and ask us anything!
