Young Engineers Showcase Cost-Effective Motorised Wheelchair

Photo Credit: The Gauteng Department of Education

Rhodesfield Engineering School learners impressively showcased their creativity and problem-solving skills with the elderly in mind.

Johannesburg, South Africa (02 September 2024) – Ahead of the Multi-Certification Skills Programme Mini-Festival this past Saturday, Grade 10 and Grade 11 learners from Rhodesfield Engineering School of Specialisation showcased a remarkable invention: a cost-effective mechanical wheelchair they built entirely on their own.

This innovative project is just one example of the exceptional educational initiatives taking place in Gauteng schools.

The Rhodesfield Engineering School learners explained that their wheelchair is operated by a battery-powered Bluetooth controller, which sends signals to a receiver attached to the wheelchair, enabling it to move.

What makes their invention particularly special is that it is made from cost-effective materials, making it cheaper to make, unlike other motorised wheelchairs on the market.

The group impressively showcased how the wheels could be set in motion using the power of friction generated by a common drill. They described their innovative use of a drill battery, which they connected to a breadboard. Their integration of an Arduino as the “brains” for the wheelchair motor system demonstrates creative problem-solving and engineering excellence.

Concluding their informative presentation, the students also shared that they were inspired to build the wheelchair with the elderly in mind, hoping to give them an affordable and self-programmed wheelchair that would move from one point to another with ease.