Detachable Motorized Assist for Manual Wheelchairs

Project Goal: Create a prototype of a detachable motorized assist for standard manual wheelchairs.

Motorized wheelchairs provide users a labor-free way to move up to five miles per hour, but they can prohibitively cost up to $40,000. On the other hand, users of manual wheelchairs must continuously physically exert themselves to propel forward.

The team developed Momentous, a prototype wheelchair accessory that provides a motorized assist to a standard-sized manual wheelchair. This device can be attached to the back of a manual wheelchair and has drive-wheels that control the wheelchair based on user inputs from a joystick. Momentous is meant to last longer than similar wheelchair accessory products on the market