Self-Taught Inventer Creates Homemade Electric Wheelchair
Li Rongbiao, a 67 year old pensioner and inventor, is making headlines in China because of his handmade electric chairs. Also known as the Walking Chair, it is assembled from spare parts and consists of spare wheels that ease stairway access for wheelchairs.
Rongbiao started playing around with the idea of an affordable electric wheelchair when his wife ended up with a broken leg. It so happened that in this period, they faced a number of hassles, including difficulty accessing their fifth floor apartment.
That’s how this self-made inventor found himself buying computer books and looking for financing for his project.
However, the building of the chair took a bit of time since Rongbiao first had to handle all the basics. Thus, he taught himself computer designing for 6 months before spending the rest of the year constructing his dream chair.
As for funding, the innovator was so dedicated to this dream that he pooled all of his income into this project.
This included his savings, pension money as well as odd $70,000 he made from the sale of his apartment.
All this effort is not in vain as his Walking Chair is gaining popularity in China.
In fact, after he demonstrated his invention at one of the biggest disability shows in China, he has been receiving orders for the electric chair. And so, following his visit to this expo, interested parties have bought 30 of his Walking Chairs and there is still a backlog of more than 300 orders.
(Link)
By shinigami on 27-11-2009
Comment by Said
November 28th, 2009 at 6:33 am
amazing
Comment by SpaceYek
November 28th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Nice. The damn chinese police thought he was making explosives. Can't those bastards leave a poor fellow alone.
Comment by Impulsive
November 28th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I mean if my neighbor was making a lot noise, working with metals, and other shady things, I would call someone (like the home owners association) to make sure he isn't making something that could take out the neighborhood.
Comment by DoNotBeImpulsive
November 28th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
You're a moron.
Comment by ManillaMice
November 28th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Yea, who's to associate what constitutes as odd?
Don't be a snitch and remember:
Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have. ~Harry Emerson Fosdick
Comment by jsepovarich
November 29th, 2009 at 8:22 am
he's living in china and having them hand made? getting them made in a factory would cost stuff all over there.
Comment by Anon
November 29th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
it would cost stuff all… to an international corporation, but we're talking 1 man, and maybe his wife…
330 chairs, doesn't quite fit factory costs just yet.
Comment by Brian S
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:56 am
I'm thinking that the size of his 'company' (1 person so far) would grow in the near (or not so near) future to be a small factory. Never jump into something that big, have to work up to it.