The BLUE PEW (Budi Luhur University Portable Electric Wheelchair) is a device that supplies wheelchair users with the independence to move without the immediate assistance or aid of another person.
Members of the IEEE Indonesia Section Young Professionals Affinity Group at Budi Luhur University have teamed up with YPAC Jakarta (Foundation of The Advancement of Children With Special Need Jakarta) to supply four children with these devices.
The actual BLUE PEW is a strap-on electric motor pack that attaches to the back of a wheelchair, easily removed for charging or to be used on a different wheelchair. The motor is attached to a hand controller for steering, as well as the wheels, all of which make the wheelchair motorized and allow for the user to operate it.
The project creates four sets of electric motors, batteries, and controllers for four children at the YPAC Jakarta. The projected lifetime of the device is about five years, and members of the team hope to create work for students at the Center for Electric Vehicle Studies should the need for maintenance and repairs arise.
This project was provided a grant of $7,700 by EPICS in IEEE as part of the Access and Abilities Competition.