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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Determining and Controlling External Power Output During Regular Handrim Wheelchair Propulsion
Published on: February 5, 2020
Beyond the wheelchair: development of motorised transport for people with severe mobility impairments in developing
Jesse Owens1, Chandler Simonds
1WWAMI Biomedical Program, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska 99508, USA. afjlo@uaa.alaska.edu
Purpose:
In developing countries, lack of over-the-road transportation reduces a vast number of disabled people to a life of begging, dependency and social isolation. Although there have been some excellent efforts to provide low-cost wheelchairs and hand-powered tricycles, little has been done to further provide transport for disabled people.
Methods:
To address this problem directly we devised a low-cost motorised wheelchair transporter prototype (the Skeeter) using a combination of bicycle parts, a custom built frame, and an inexpensive small engine for propulsion.
Results:
The Skeeter can provide independent operation and travel by a wheelchair user. It is an economically feasible solution to the lack of over-the-road transportation for people with mobility impairments in developing countries.
Conclusions:
The Skeeter has the potential to provide a major enhancement in the quality of life for people with disabilities in developing countries around the world.
