Perhaps my favourite #3DPrinting story for some time and I wonder whether any of you guys can help improve the design: A wheelchair user has designed and 3D Printed his own portable wheelchair ramps. > Web Server's Default Page
Just need a way to attach the to the wheels (axils) then then they can be deployed and retrieved as needed.
Yeah some kind of automated system for them to be deployed would be great.
I love such meaningful 3d printed objects!
So do I, RoboHand, MagicArms and now this, these are the people 3D Printing is truly helping.
I can think of several ideas that could be tried, but I’d have to sketch them out.
It would be a fun and rewarding project to help this dude out and other people who use that device for mobility.
Re: Having some sort of auto mechanism to deploy/retrieve them - You need to leave them in place till the rear wheels are over and past, so having them attached constantly would be messy and much harder mechanically. How about using an electromagnet on robot-like arm to place them/pick them up, and put a piece of metal in the ramp piece for the electromagnet to grab?
Storage: How about using them as a foot-stool at the front, so that it’s easier to climb in/out of the chair (for those that have some mobility) or at least use them as foot rest.
Having the ramp attached a mechanism separate from the main wheel makes sense. Possibly an arm that places the ramp against the curb then travels freely until the rear wheels have traveled up the ramp at which point the ramps are retrieved.