Whirlwind Wheelchair empowers the disabled with open source

Getting from point A to point B is a need that we all have, but what if you’re in a third-world country and require a wheelchair? For those who are disabled and live in developing countries, the average wheelchair is usually not an ideal solution. After all, how many “average” wheelchairs can handle rocky and rough terrain or are available in places where hospitals or doctor visits are a luxury few can afford?

That’s where Whirlwind Wheelchair International steps in. They believe that anyone who needs a wheelchair should have access to one, giving them the physical independence needed for everyday living in normal society–no matter where in the world they are.

According to Marc Krizack, Director of Operations at WWI, Whirlwind has been working for more than 27 years with wheelchair riders and technicians in the developing world. Design ideas are freely shared through field visits to shops in developing countries, visits by wheelchair builders from developing countries, and via the occasional published bulletin.

As CAD programs, the Internet, and overall technology have improved over the years, collaborative design has only gotten easier. Whirlwind’s technology has spread to 45 countries and will only continue to grow.

Whirlwind wanted to make their designs available to small manufacturers as well as those who could contribute back to their designs. They chose the Creative Commons license as a way to help protect them from larger manufacturers who are likely to mass-produce their designs and make changes along the way to accommodate manufacturing needs without understanding the consequences of those changes.

Whirlwind designs the core product, but allows individuals to modify their design locally (for instance, to make use of materials available or for customizations based upon specific needs). Whirlwind considers themselves to be lead developers on this project. They seek input from others in their community, using the input provided as best they can. At the same time, Whirlwind’s contributions are freely available for use by others.

Only within the past five years has any amount of attention been paid to the need for wheelchairs in the developing world. With some success raising money and awareness, large manufactures in China and in other developing countries have expressed interest in producing these designs. Often, these large manufacturers just want to take the designs and copy them without any further involvement with their organization. Whirlwind fears that these large manufacturers will change the designs in ways that may hurt the recipients of the chairs or hurt Whirlwind’s reputation.

“To be successful at design, certainly at wheelchair design, requires understanding a myriad of factors including culture, politics, economy, technology, and also finding the right people to partner with in the technology transfer process,” Krizack explained.

“In the past, it was easy to make a distinction between use for the developing world and use in the already developed countries,” Krizack noted. “But now, especially since globalization has taken off in a big way, that distinction makes little sense; it seems that everyone is producing in China and flooding the rest of the world with their products. We need to figure out how to continue to work openly and collaboratively with wheelchair users/designers and share our ideas and designs with them without making it easy for mass manufacturers to drive them out of business.”

What exactly does building a better wheelchair cost? It varies, depending on the country where the design is being built and the scale of product. For example, the RoughRider design comes in at around $120 in Vietnam, while chairs in other locations range from $195 to $320 to build. As the focus on regional production grows, costs are expected to drop.

Keep in mind these are factory prices, which do not include the cost of research and design, nor the cost for proper distribution. Smaller shops distribute locally, while large purchasers buy containers of chairs to be distributed far from the factory. These larger purchasers drop chairs off to organizations without knowing if that organization has a specific need. Small shops work with the individual to match their specific needs, including a proper fitting.

“Every situation is new and every situation offers opportunities,” Krizack said. “If you focus on the wheelchair rider and not on the wheelchair, you really can’t go wrong.”

Whirlwind’s latest innovative idea is an open source design challenge–collaborative designs made available in the public domain. Design challenges could include figuring out ways to:

Use only bicycle bearings in the wheelchair.
A wheelchair uses 12 bearings–four in the rear wheels, four in the caster wheels, and four in the caster swivel barrels. Wheelchair riders in the developing world are the poorest of the poor and sealed bearings can be expensive to replace, while bicycle bearings are inexpensive and readily available throughout much of the world. The use of bicycle parts, such as bearings and hubs, will keep chairs running for a long time and make them cheap to repair.

Problems that must be solved to switch the bearing type:

1. Bicycle hubs are designed to be supported on both ends. The rear wheels of a wheelchair are only supported on one end.
2. Bicycle wheel bearings are not designed to take vertical loads such as those found on the caster stem bearings.

Protect sealed bearings (and, possibly, bicycle bearings).
Find a way to keep out the dirt, grit, and clay that even gets into sealed industrial bearings used in wheelchairs within developing countries. Also, although bicycle bearings are easy to clean and maintain, many people still do not properly maintain their equipment.

Create alternate propulsion methods.
Operating a wheelchair by pushing on hand-rims is very inefficient. Whirlwind is looking at both lever and hand-crank chain-driven wheelchairs. An ideal solution for this is a mechanism that can be attached to the front of a wheelchair for long distance travel but easily removed when entering buildings.

Make quick release axles.
Standard push button models are easily jammed when used extensively on unpaved roads. Quick releases are also easily lost. Whirlwind is looking for a design for quick-release mechanisms that won’t get jammed up, are inexpensive to produce in a small metalworking shop, are easy to repair if they break, and that have no parts that will be easily lost.

Whether you’re an average geek or an average joe/jane, there are ways you can help. Take part in the open source design challenge. Donate your time and IT services. Whirlwind needs help with website design and updates. They also need help figuring out ways to spread their message to more people. Donate some of your own money, or raise money by organizing a benefit or house party. Whirlwind and the wheelchair riders of the world could use your help.

And you might come away with more than you think. Krizack reminds us, “We are constantly learning, constantly confronting new problems and new situations. All of these provide learning opportunities. Technology development and transfer are not merely scientific-type activities.”

About the author

Sandra Wills is a freelance writer and editor. When not working with words, Sandra is often making unique jewelry creations. Whether you need help polishing your content or just looking polished, Sandra’s sure to help.

This entry was posted by Sandra Wills on Friday, May 25th, 2007 at 11:26 am and is filed under culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.