Kangan Roo Power Wheelchair

Colin Johanson-> COOL Mobility
and Georgia Tech

The Concept
Colin's power wheelchair concept begins with an off-the-shelf rigid sports chair, and adds a three wheeled power chassis. Give it an adjustable wheelbase, in-hub motors, and high-tech batteries from a Toyota Prius, and you have a highly maneuverable and modular power wheelchair. At less than 100 lbs, and able to hop up a 6" curb, this versatile design shows what a 'sports power chair' could look like, yet still able to revert to a manual chair at times when power is not required. For more detailed information, check out his write-up.

The Video
The coolest feature of his chair--besides what is mentioned above--is the adjustable wheelbase. This is what Mark and I wanted to show with our video. -->

A flick of a switch, and the chair retracts into its indoor mode. The drivewheels pull under the user, creating a more maneuverable mid-wheel configuration. The seatpan raises up, putting the user at a more comfortable height for desktop work This also creates a more horizontal seat angle, aiding transfer to and from the chair.

Flick the switch the other direction, and the chair extends into outdoor mode. As the power chassis extends backward away from the seat frame, it lengthens the wheelbase into a rear-wheel drive configuration. This puts the users center of mass between the front castors and the drivewheels--instead of on top of them--creating a much more stable platform for straight line speed while outdoors. The seatpan also lowers two inches, creating dump that cradles the user, keeping them in the chair.

My role for this project was to troubleshoot the electronics and get the new controller working with our prototype in-hub motors, and to photograph and document the capabilities of the chair. We then showed off the chair to manufacturers, gaining exposure for Colin.

Video filmed and edited with Mark Duckworth.

3/4 view of the Kangan Roo chair.

Side view of the Kangan Roo chair in it's extended "outdoor" mode.

Snippet from BusinessWeek, May 21, 2007.