Video: Wheelchair-ATV You Have to See to Believe
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.26.16
Re-entering the outdoor-lifestyle after a paralyzing injury is an incredible challenge, and one that some people never overcome. A number of battery-powered trackchairs that allow injured sportsmen go off-road have been developed, but the drawback has always been that they require the person to transfer from their push- or powerchair into the trackchair—a feat that can’t always be done without help.
Howe and Howe Technologies, a company in Waterboro, Maine, that designs and builds specialized tracked vehicles for the military, as well as police and emergency services departments, took on that challenge and created the Ripchair 3.0. They call it the “Ultimate Powerchair Upgrade” because it allows the user to lock his or her personal power- or pushchair into the frame, and take off for places they could never reach otherwise. On top of that, it uses a 30 hp, 4-stroke gas engine as a power source, so there’s no worry about batteries dying in the field.
Recently the company and its some of its employees rallied in support of one of their own, Ripchair salesman Tony Tulo. Watch this heartwarming video to see how one of man’s inventions can so dramatically change a person’s life.
