Difference between revisions of "Main Page"
From WhimWiki A Wheelchair That Makes Sense
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We're working with local engineers and other experts to find some potential answers. We realize that there is not going to be one answer for everyone, however we feel that we can help make the choices easier. We have already identified some components which may need to be customized (particularly the motor-wheel interface), but are working to keep these to a minimum, and are planning to provide plans for these so that they can be manufactured at a local facility. | We're working with local engineers and other experts to find some potential answers. We realize that there is not going to be one answer for everyone, however we feel that we can help make the choices easier. We have already identified some components which may need to be customized (particularly the motor-wheel interface), but are working to keep these to a minimum, and are planning to provide plans for these so that they can be manufactured at a local facility. | ||
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==Who Is Doing It== | ==Who Is Doing It== | ||
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We have invited (drafted) several local engineers (mechanical, electrical, and others), as well as experts in other fields, to assist us in this endeavor. As I get their permission (and their bios), I'll link them here. | We have invited (drafted) several local engineers (mechanical, electrical, and others), as well as experts in other fields, to assist us in this endeavor. As I get their permission (and their bios), I'll link them here. | ||
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| + | ==Why We're Doing It== | ||
| + | Pamela is a power-chair user, and has been for over 30 years. In that time she has owned many chairs, and experienced the repair nightmare ''many'' times. Somewhere along the line, she found that some of the issues could be repaired at local shops faster, cheaper, and with a less stress. The ones that couldn't be repaired at the local bike shop (or other local non-wheelchair specialist) were usually due to the broken part being customized - unique to that brand and model of chair. | ||
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| + | Michael is a software engineer, with 30+ years of experience in problem solving. When Pamela's current chair started showing its age (17+ years), Michael kept looking at the "odd" design choices of her current and past chairs, and began asking questions. He finally made the audacious claim that "I can design a better chair than that." After a couple years of hearing this, Pamela finally said, "Prove it!" | ||
==How We're Doing It== | ==How We're Doing It== | ||
| − | We're still in the planning stages, meeting weekly (or bi-weekly, or monthly, as schedules permit) over pizza, to discuss the possibilities. We're looking at all of the available technologies, trying to find those which we believe will be around for the longest times, so that replacement parts will continue to be available. We've made a lot of progress, but there's only so far we can go on paper. | + | We're still in the planning stages, meeting with the engineers and other experts weekly (or bi-weekly, or monthly, as schedules permit) over pizza, to discuss the possibilities. We're looking at all of the available technologies, trying to find those which we believe will be around for the longest times, so that replacement parts will continue to be available. We've made a lot of progress, but there's only so far we can go on paper. |
Soon, we'll start fundraising in order to get the parts so that we can start building and testing. Expect to see a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign starting soon. | Soon, we'll start fundraising in order to get the parts so that we can start building and testing. Expect to see a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign starting soon. | ||
