Despite advances in technology , there are many aspects of the world that remain inaccessible to the great unwashed with impairment . But researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are working to make one body process soft for mass who use motorized wheelchair : navigate water system ballpark .
The average motorize wheelchair has a number of electrical and battery components that ca n’t get wet , limiting who can enter the joys of splashing park and pools . But a young wheelchair that uses compressed air instead of a heavy barrage could switch that , Gizmodo recentlyreported .
Created through a joint research project between University of Pittsburgh engineers , the university ’s medical center , and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs , the PneuChair is wakeful and quicker to commove than traditional motorize chair . It can also be repaired with canonic hardware tools if something split up in the midst of all the splashing .
The 80 - pound chair ( a traditional machine can weigh up to 400 pound ) can journey about three international mile on one charge , about a third of the maximal aloofness of an galvanic mobility machine . Another benefit : It only takes 10 transactions to recharge rather than eight hours .
The university ’s Human Engineering Research Laboratories is also working on a scoter version for hoi polloi who do n’t need the assistance of a full chair . “ The potential to open chance for hoi polloi with disabilities who ask powered mobility to access splash parks , water parks , beaches or pools is transformative , ” lab director Rory Coopertoldthe university ’s press service .
The PneuChair was design in part for utilisation at Morgan ’s Inspiration Island , an forthcoming water park in San Antonio that ’s designed for people with disabilities . The accessible splash ballpark — which is part ofMorgan ’s Wonderland , a fully accessible paper common — willinitially offer10 of the chairs to its Guest for utilisation while they ’re there .
[ h / tGizmodo ]
