Public Service Fellowships

fellowships

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start summer select a project Improvement of African wheelchair technology

Improvement of African wheelchair technology

Various locations in Africa and Southeast Asia
http://web.mit.edu/sp.784/www/people.html#COMMUNITY

This is a general call to those MIT students interested in directly improving wheelchair technology or enhancing the mechanisms through which disabled people can obtain appropriate mobility aids in developing countries. Fellows can choose to conduct their fellowship in one or multiple workshops in Africa and Southeast Asia. For a description of partnering workshops, see: http://web.mit.edu/sp.784/www/people.html#COMMUNITY Potential projects fall into the following categories and specific foci. More information can be found at: http://web.mit.edu/sp.784/www/projects.html

Mechanical Design:
Design a folding 3-wheeled wheelchair, re-design handcycle geartrain, strengthen and lighten handcycle frames, create new hardware for small business opportunities to be run from wheelchairs/handcycles

Manufacturing Engineering:
Optimize use of local raw materials and bicycle components for wheelchair/handcycle manufacturing, streamline wheelchair/handcycle manufacturing processes with lean manufacturing practices

Business:
Identify small business opportunities that incorporate wheelchairs, devise business plans to optimize profitability and productivity of wheelchair workshops, write a production manual for handcycles, write a workshop manual to summarize building practices, devise a marketing plan for wheelchair advertisement

Biomechanics:
Optimize the hand position and gear train of handcycles, improve wheelchair brake design and location

Specific qualifications/preferences
Experience (either academic or practical) in the field relating to his/her chosen projectDesire to live and work in a developing world setting

Contact
MIT students interested in developing Fellowships around these ideas should contact Amos Winter awinter@mit.edu for more information.