Reflections on a summer spent designing wheelchairs in Guatemala
BLOGGING FROM THE FIELDJuly 29, 2011 Public Service Fellow Paul Lazarescu ’13 is working with Transitions Foundation in Antigua, Guatemala, helping to develop a hybrid wheelchair that can be used both for everyday and for active use. After spending almost a month and a half in Guatemala, I feel that we’ve accomplished a great deal. [...]
[Wheelchair] Basketball diaries: Hugo Aquino, Dreammaker of Guatemala
BLOGGING FROM THE FIELD Third Blog- July 7, 2011 Public Service Fellow Paul Lazarescu ’13 is spending this summer working with Transitions Foundation in Antigua, Guatemala, helping to develop a hybrid wheelchair. Hugo Aquino is in charge of Transitions’ Foundation Workshop, which makes and modifies wheelchairs for disabled Guatemalans. Aquino is also the Captain of [...]
Designing the perfect wheelchair
BLOGGING FROM THE FIELD Second blog- June 29, 2011 In this post Paul Lazarescu describes the process of designing a wheelchair to suit the rough roads of Antigua, Guatemala. Paul spending the summer in Antigua, working with the Transitions Foundation to design, develop, and test new wheelchair designs and accessories. Wheelchairs in Guatemala, Part II [...]
A wheelchair for young people in Guatemala
BLOGGING FROM THE FIELD First blog- May 25, 2011 My name is Paul Lazarescu and I’ve just finished my sophomore year at MIT, where I study Mechanical Engineering. I’m spending this summer in Antigua, Guatemala, where I will be working with Transitions Foundation to design and manufacture a wheelchair for active users. During Wheelchair Design [...]
Welding the two-speed tricycle drivetrain
Most of the wheelchairs in the developing world that have been donated by international agencies are built to be pushed around on smooth linoleum floors. Traveling on rough, sandy roads with steep inclines, ruts, and declines damages many of these wheelchairs, leaving many mobility-disabled people to drag themselves to their destination. With the development of [...]
Fine-tuning brakes on the Leveraged Freedom Chair
Wesley McDougal ’12 with co-worker Isaac discussing how to best fine-tune the brakes of the Leveraged Freedom Chair (LFC). The Leveraged Freedom Chair (LFC), a lever-powered mobility aid, won the R&D 100 Award and was one of three Editor’s Choice Awards. The award is sponsored by the R&D magazine, which features state of the art [...]
Preparing to paint the Leveraged Freedom Chair
Summer 2010 Public Service Fellow Nydia Ruleman (’12 Course 2) is preparing the completed frame of the Leveraged Freedom Chair (LFC) for painting in Antigua, Guatemala. The LFC was designed by the MIT Mobility Lab to utilize upper body strength through a lever-drive system. The drivetrain, which is made from bicycle components, allows the user [...]
