My name is Lam Ngo, usually known as the dude with long hair who is always late to class. Per my handy sidebar, I am a Computer Engineering major at Union College with a minor in Mathematics. This website is the public demonstration of my thesis research for my senior year at Union College, which was advised by Professor Cherrice Traver.
That’s me.
This is me in real life (sorry this is the only picture I have on my laptop …)
I basically made a wheelchair for disabled children. How cool is that?
This
To this
In the United States, in order to be granted a fully customized powered wheelchair, a person needs to demonstrate to the committee that she is able to operate the device competently and safely. It is a fair rule, but the problem lies in the fact that buying a wheelchair for practice is completely out of the question for most people, especially young disabled children. Base models of modern wheelchair, which are used for mobility assessment, are awfully expensive, costing more than $10000 per unit, that is before adding any customizations. To counter this, disability services around the states try to borrow and lend wheelchairs to each other. However, this is only an impermanent solution, as the time frame in which a center can use a wheelchair is often only one week. In addition, the devices come without any customizations, and the counselors and physical trainers have to perform the customization process from the ground up every time they receive a new wheelchair.
Thus, my senior capstone project is to adapt a Fisher-Price toy called the Wild Thing®, so that it can serve as a powered mobility training and assessment tool for younger children, while being low-cost and easy to use. Powered mobility means the use of powered wheelchairs and ride-on toys, which run on electricity and provide efficient and autonomous mobility and body support for individuals with limited ability to walk. While my device is not supposed to be a practical replacement for a prescribed wheelchair, it can be utilized as one for young children to learn how to drive. This project is an interdisciplinary one, in which I, a Computer Engineering major, will handle adapting the control interface of the Wild Thing, and Joseph Caruso, a Mechanical Engineering major, will create and construct flexible seating customizations. The entire project is developed and designed to be tested and used at the Kevin G. Langan School At the Center For Disability Services, under the strict supervision of Mr. Jim Luther and Mrs. Laura A Shemo.