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Engineering technology students create a customized powered wheelchair for children through the GoBabyGo initiative


Five engineering technology students at Purdue University are working on a unique project to build a powered wheelchair for a child in need in their community. The project is part of a capstone class taught by Associate Professor Brittany Newell, and the students are transforming a battery-powered toy car provided by Fisher-Price into a usable wheelchair for a local family.

The project, inspired by the GoBabyGo program started by Cole Galloway at the University of Delaware, aims to increase mobility and improve the quality of life for children in their early developmental years. The students were challenged to design controls for a 360-degree car with features like obstacle avoidance and ergonomics to meet the varying needs of children. The goal is to provide children with control over their exploration and movement.

Newell hopes to incorporate concepts learned from the project into lower-level courses to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities. She believes that the project exemplifies the mission of the Polytechnic Institute by equipping students to tackle real-world challenges and advance technology for the betterment of society.

Initial funding for the project was provided by Purdue, but Newell is seeking continued funding to run the project each semester in the capstone course. With her background in biomedical engineering, Newell is passionate about developing medical and mobility devices like powered wheelchair cars. She sees the project as a way to make a positive impact in a child’s life one car at a time.

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Photo credit polytechnic.purdue.edu

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