Difference between revisions of "WhimWiki A Wheelchair That Makes Sense:Current events"
From WhimWiki A Wheelchair That Makes Sense
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PAMELA'S LAY PERSON NOTES: | PAMELA'S LAY PERSON NOTES: | ||
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| + | 9/23/14 | ||
| + | We are building a frame out of grid beams! These are 2" square lengths of metal with holes drilled 1' apart all the way down them. (Highway signs sometimes use these.) This will make a very heavy frame, but for our first prototype it will help with "proof of concept." If the theory works well, then we can look for a lighter option. The holes will make the frame completely adjustable for different sizes of people and different needs. The theory is great; I'll keep you posted on the reality as we progress with building the monster. | ||
9/15/14 | 9/15/14 | ||
Health issues slowed down progress for a bit, but we are back in the swing of things and having a working gig this coming Saturday. I am very excited! We have materials for building a unique frame, BMX tires, a re-purposed tread mill motor, and a few more gizmos. We are going to start working on our first model. Makers Fair 2015 or Bust! | Health issues slowed down progress for a bit, but we are back in the swing of things and having a working gig this coming Saturday. I am very excited! We have materials for building a unique frame, BMX tires, a re-purposed tread mill motor, and a few more gizmos. We are going to start working on our first model. Makers Fair 2015 or Bust! | ||
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| + | Gulp Gap...Please excuse the gap in time since my last update. We had spambots hit the website and crampbots hit my body. 'nuff said. | ||
2/25/14 | 2/25/14 | ||
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2/2/14 | 2/2/14 | ||
| − | Building a wheelchair with off-the-shelf parts is exciting and challenging. Our biggest obstacle is connecting the wheel to the motor in a way that it has a braking system. For the motors, lots of used treadmill motors are for sell on ebay. There may be too many problems to make it work, but we love the DIY aspect of it and the low cost ($ | + | Building a wheelchair with off-the-shelf parts is exciting and challenging. Our biggest obstacle is connecting the wheel to the motor in a way that it has a braking system. For the motors, lots of used treadmill motors are for sell on ebay. There may be too many problems to make it work, but we love the DIY aspect of it and the low cost ($20 compared to $600+ for a wheelchair motor). Problems: We'll need to gear down the motor, maybe 50 to 1; the motor will need weatherproof housing with ventilation; the battery voltage requirements and charger present some interesting problems; how long can we count on this being a supply source? |
--As far as the gearbox, we could go with a drive belt instead. A worm drive might be workable too. | --As far as the gearbox, we could go with a drive belt instead. A worm drive might be workable too. | ||
--As far as availability, they've been selling on ebay for 12 years already, so maybe it will go at least another 12. | --As far as availability, they've been selling on ebay for 12 years already, so maybe it will go at least another 12. | ||
| − | --We are still looking for other options for off-the-shelf motors that could be adapted for use on wheelchairs. | + | --We are still looking for other options for off-the-shelf motors that could be adapted for use on wheelchairs. Ideas? |
