The Off-Road Wheelchair Accessory

Travis Watkins was given the assignment of creating a device that helped improve the life of a disabled person during his senior year at the University of Florida. It was not hard for Watkins to come up with a very innovative and helpful idea. He designed a platform that can be used with any electric wheelchair to turn it into a rugged off-road machine.

Watkins father suffers from Lou Gehrig’s Disease, which is also referred to as ALS. This disease greatly affects a persons’ mobility and their ability to eat and speak, while leaving their mind largely untouched. Due to Watkins close relationship with his father, it was not hard for him to decide on a way to improve his fathers life.

Together with his project partners, professor Stephen Sundarrao, and other individuals who use electric wheelchairs, Watkins constructed a very sturdy base aptly named the Tank. The Tank is a five foot by five foot device that features 2 rugged ATV wheels in front that make it very versatile. Coming it at around 150 pounds, almost any electric power wheelchair can be placed on top of the Tank. It is then locked in place and the electric wheelchair actually does all of the work.

Jim Watkins, Travis’s father, is very happy with the Tank and it has allowed him to goto the beach and pretty much anywhere else he wants.

Travis has since put the Tank into production and with the help of Sundarro, they have established a company called Rehab Ideas, which also offers other devices that the students have created to help improve the lives of people living with disabilities. Work began last month on 400 of these devices, which will cost around $5000.