Student creates special wheelchair for her friend with arthritis

“I could see how much she was struggling to do her daily tasks, and I wanted to make a wheelchair that would really suit her needs – one that would make her independent and mobile, comfortable and happy,” he explained.

There are no wheelchair ramps in Kenya, and according to Peter, most of the wheelchair is limited to a single function. And some are for suited to flat surfaces, others to rough terrain, etc.

So Peter decided to get the best of both worlds and develop a wheelchair that combines several functionalities. The result was E-Con, an all-terrain wheelchair that allows its users to stand upright, climb up or down stairs, drivable by the user, independently.

He built this prototype by using the concept of a military tank combined with a capacity of a 4x4 and the design of a traditional wheelchair.

E-Con works both on flat and rough surfaces. Each wheel consists of three smaller wheels, which provides the user with greater movement and balance.

Peter’s friend passed away without even know this innovation was being made for her. “I was very sad because I was making this for her in secret, and she left without knowing what I was preparing for her. For a while I was heartbroken, and then I thought – ‘Well, there are many people like her who would like a wheelchair that would enable them to be independent and mobile”, the inventor said.

But Peter keeps on working on this project. According to him, the device will take about 9,000 USD to be completed.

Adapted from: https://bit.ly/2hrYo2a