S.I. Students Complete Improved Wheelchair Prototype
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Some Staten Island high school students who won a grant to create a better wheelchair have made significant progress on their project and found a way to give back to the community. Borough reporter Amanda Farinacci filed the following report. Staten Island Technical High School students say the have made the wheelchair of the future. It features a "Comfort Control Wheelchair Seat," and the chair is designed to improve the experience of the person using it.
The seat relieves pressure and prevents sores and bacteria and can move in many directions.
"I believe this technology brings them a step closer in having the freedom that we do in navigating tight spaces," said student Rebecca Kekelishvili.
In 2009, the students won a $10,000 grant for their project from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Last October, the kids invited hospital officials and local leaders to learn about their project.
Councilman James Oddo gave the children $5,000 to help build their prototype, and the rehabilitation staff at Staten Island University gave the students access to patients and doctors who use wheelchairs and provided insight about how to improve them.
The students originally hoped to finish their wheelchair and donate it to the hospital, but occupational safety and patent laws made that impossible. Instead, to say thanks for the help, the students raised money through a recycling drive and bought a brand new wheelchair for the hospital.
They also refurbished a broken wheelchair by cleaning it and taking it apart to make it as good as new, and gave that one to Oddo, who donated it to a special needs family in his district.
"What I wanted to get out of this, is to sort of expand their minds and enhance their educational opportunities, and what they've given back to me and given back to Staten Island is beyond the dollar amount," said Oddo.
Students built the motor of their wheelchair themselves, incorporating a joystick often used for video games to control it. It can be programmed to move by remote control using a laptop, and the seat can be raised as well.
"You have students actually learning hands-on. They're actually building, they're learning how things actually operate, they're learning how to program," said engineering teacher Steven Raile.
The children said they are not done yet. They are already working on new ideas to improve their prototype and said they hope to apply for a patent sometime in the near future.