Quartet's gift for the disabled

bangalore: the students of m.s ramaiah college of engineering are at it again. as part of a final semester project, prodyut sampath, satish kumar a., segu sudhir and shailendra sharma have built a motor-driven wheelchair-cum-bed which could be useful to the disabled. the project was judged by panels from the national aerospace laboratories, hindustan aeronautics limited and the indian institute of science.and it was selected as one of the 10 best projects of the year, said the quartet proudly. ``it was appalling to see that the disabled still used the conventional metal-based wheelchair in our country,'' said prodyut. ``so we decided against a fancy product and decided to manufacture something utilitarian.'' the wheelchair-cum-bed could be of great help because it ``does not fall into the present category of conventional wheelchairs. we took special care to see that the upholstery is comfortable and if the reclining position supports the natural contours of the body. after sifting through a number of designs, we decided that the maruti omni seat was best suited for our purpose.'' the frame itself is made of mild steel, which is universally favoured for wheelchairs. it is abrasion-resistant and shockproof. the wheelchair can be converted into a comfortable bed by operating a lever. the system works just like the push-back seats in a bus. ``however, we took care to ensure that there would be no jerks or sudden movements when the lever is operated.'' the wheelchair is powered by a d.c. motor; it has a 12-volt battery which can be used non-stop for an hour. the battery takes a maximum of two hours to recharge. the wheelchair can attain a maximum speed of 3 km/ph. and in case the user wishes to move it manually, a clutch has been provided. ``instead of the normal bicycle tyres, our wheelchair is fitted with tyres of a bajaj sunny. it can take a weight of 70-80 kg. the wheelchair cost rs 16,000 to 17,000 to make. but with mass production, the cost could be brought down to rs 12,000,'' said satish kumar. the quartet's looking for people willing to sponsor the project. contact 5549578. the quartet of prodyut sampath, satish kumar, shailendra sharma and segu sudhir and professor j.d. daniel with the wheelchair-cum-bed.