Solar power has become an important source of energy production, with an expanding set of use cases. A number of power wheelchair manufacturers already sell solar panel attachments, and one research report suggests that the market is primed for significant expansion.
According to the report, a solar powered wheelchair project designed by the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering took home the prize at the World Cerebral Palsy Day. The student-designed system, utilizing solar panel technology, was able to increase the battery range by over 40%.
This is where most research is focused – to use solar panels to extend the range of power wheelchairs. The report suggests that research “undertaken to combine electric and solar powered wheelchairs to increase the runtime will eventually attract industry players towards commercializing these wheelchairs.”
OUR TAKE: Solar panels are expensive, and the cost of the technology will have to become more affordable in order for solar attachments to reach the mass market. Whether the research bears fruit or not, it is exciting to see efforts being made to equip wheelchairs for what we hope will be a greener, more accessible future.
To read the research report, click here.
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