I want or should I say I need a Moon rover wheelchair.

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directcurrent1
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I want or should I say I need a Moon rover wheelchair.

Post by directcurrent1 »

:grin: :smile: Hay follow Robotic-ist. I admit I have never build a robotic before but I am in desprit need of a Moonrover like mobility chair, and have no idea where to start, Can you folks help me out.
:shock: I just got my first mobility chair and after some working with it, relize that it can be use for indoor and out door mobility and using for going to walmart,Lowes,home depot, etc because of several reasons;
1 can't get over a 1/2 inch door ceal, porch door or hump--- wheels spin.
2 get in the grass and wheels spin to the right or left, loose control.
3 can't carry a cargo cage to get food stuff, clothes.
:smile: I need something the I can use to work on out side in the yard plus run around in the house and load up in a utility trailer and go to walmart,etc. In short I am not going to stop living because of mobility probems
:smile: So what I need to do is understand the working of the motor sys so I can have all four wheels pull like the moon rover, I want to be able to pull over a 2 to 3 inch bump. travel at a reasonable speed, have a option to put a basket full of food stuff or thing from hardware stores. I want have a way to put a small yard trailer around the yard to do trimming, weed eating, etc. or may be small piece of lumber to and from the workshop.

If yall can just guide me to some infor and how them mobility chairs work, their motor circuits and control I will get started.
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VernGraner
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Re: I want or should I say I need a Moon rover wheelchair.

Post by VernGraner »

directcurrent1 wrote:I admit I have never build a robotic before but I am in desperate need of a Moon-rover like mobility chair...
  • A few things to keep in mind here:
  • Power chairs / electric wheelchairs are usually considered "medical devices"
    As such, the manufacturers do not make schematics or any other repair information available to the end user (they are typically considered "trade secrets"). This makes modification, adaptation or experimentation extremely difficult. In the power chairs I have worked with, I have had to simply replace all the electronics (except the motors) to get them running (as robotic platforms, NOT as devices to carry people!). Also, breaking the seal on an enclosure or using a part that was not with the chair when it was purchased (like knobby tires or different motors) will likely void the warranty and/or lead to unpredictable results.
  • A Power Chair's purchase price may have been offset by insurance monies
    As such, you may not have the right to modify the chair as it may technically belong (at least in part) to the insurance company. Make sure you completely own the chair if you plan to make warranty-voiding changes to it.
  • Power chairs are designed to be reliable - the occupants life may depend on it
    Do you really want to bet your life on your own first attempts at making a device for off-roading etc? I like to work with electronics and have made lots of devices, but there are very few I would stake my life on. If you need a power chair for mobility, and you do not have extensive experience making power chairs, speed controllers, battery chargers, mechanical gear assemblies, brakes, wiring looms, fuse systems (and the list goes on) I would NOT trust my hobby attempts to replace a piece of certified medical equipment to which I trust my safety and possibly my life.
Now, don't get me wrong, I think building your own devices can be a great past-time, but I don't think that (with an admitted skill level of "none") this is a prudent place to start. If you need an off-road capable wheelchair there are companies that make them such as:

http://www.wheelchairs.com

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/off-road-powerchair.htm

I just used a quick google search to find the above.

So, my $0.02: Spend time building things to hone your robotic platform and mechanical skills then, (and only then) move on to building something on which you are willing to bet your health and/or safety. :smile:

Vern
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Vern Graner
ringo47stars
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Re: I want or should I say I need a Moon rover wheelchair.

Post by ringo47stars »

Some people are trying to convert go-karts to electric but the size and wieght of the motor and batteries is probably an issue. But if your not racing the go-kart then I could see putting a big comfortable seat on it and a bigger motor/batteries and then gearing it down so it has power at low speeds. I've seen some like that but I think they are medical devices. Or maybe try a quad bike and converting it to electric. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quad_bike
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jwax
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Re: I want or should I say I need a Moon rover wheelchair.

Post by jwax »

You may have better success driving over door seals and upgrades in reverse. Electric chairs typically have more torque in reverse. Best of luck on your project!
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MrAl
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Re: I want or should I say I need a Moon rover wheelchair.

Post by MrAl »

Hi,

I have to say that i'm with Vern on this one. Building your own electric wheel chair or similar can be a disaster if something goes wrong that you didnt think of beforehand. It's a simple device in principle, but in reality there are safety features that should be incorporated that you probably are not even aware of, at least not until something goes wrong. If you were say a mechanical engineer i might have a different opinion, but even so you would still have to be familiar with the peculiarities that come up with different types of products like this.

Maybe better to check with a company that makes them and see if you can get insurance aid to help pay for it.

I'm one of the *last* people on earth to buy something before building it myself, but when it comes to safety you really have to know what you are doing.

If after reading this you still want to proceed, all i can say then is: "Test, test, test, and more tests", before you use it.
LEDs vs Bulbs, LEDs are winning.
ringo47stars
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Re: I want or should I say I need a Moon rover wheelchair.

Post by ringo47stars »

I was looking in motor trend magazine and on the back inside page they had a picture of a king midget. It was an old car so I searched the internet and found out they are still in business but they are working on the kit car instructions. - http://www.midgetmotors.com/ And according to this wikipedia article the company went bankrupt and quit in 1970. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Midget If they could make a kit with an electric motor using the current technology of electric car batteries (ni-mh or lithium) then maybe that could be used for what directcurrent wanted. There is always safety, insurance and maybe license issues with something like that.
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directcurrent1
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Re: I want or should I say I need a Moon rover wheelchair.

Post by directcurrent1 »

:smile: Thanks guys must admit your right 100%. As much has I greatly want and need it, I will just have to put that project aside for a later date when my knowledge get more up to date. Hehehe as for the darning part of it, I use to be in my youger days a motorcycle dare devil and chances, :smile: Well!!! Hehehee many many thanks for the input.
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