Disability Technology & News

Wheelchair Power by the Sun

The current geo-political buzz word these day is Global Warming and everyone from Al Gore to the Pope to my mother are telling me to live a greener lifestyle. Well, I think may have found a solution to my polluting habits with this new invention. My next wheelchair will be this eco-friendly 4-wheel mobile name “sunny”. Now you’re saying to yourself, “arin’t electric wheelchair green already as it doesn’t produce CO2?” You are correct my friend, however an electric wheelchair (w-c) is still dependent on electricity and the process of obtain such energy source is still polluting the environment. Now with solar, that’s 100% free non-polluting source of energy.

Toyota’s Prius, Honda Hybrid watchout as this eco-friendly 4-wheel mobile is on you’re tailpipe!

Solar powered wheelchair
August 29, 2006
Source: InfoLink

The V8 supercars are not the only high-tech four wheelers on the streets of Bathurst. Bathurst man, Bob Triming, has modified his wheelchair to use solar energy. By converting his electric wheelchair to use solar power, he not only sends a valuable message about caring for the environment, he also has increased his mobility and improved the safety of his wheelchair.

Triming installed a pair of 20 Watt panels in series to deliver the 24 Volts required by his wheelchair. The extra energy provided by the solar panels gives him an extra 30 minutes of full power every sunny day, and sunny days are the days you want to be out and about. When it rains the solar panels are not useless; they function as an umbrella. The solar panels and frame are easily detached to allow for easy transportation of the wheelchair.

Bob has also added some side and rear LED lights to his wheelchair. These LED lights use very little electricity and greatly improve the visibility and safety of the wheelchair.

“I was overwhelmed with the service from - Energy Matters,” Triming says. Energy Matters provided the solar panels and wiring diagrams, with Bob Triming coming up with the idea, design and implementation.

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