title: Modifying a motor go-kart to accommodate children with disabilities.
abstract: As an educational exercise with real-world application, a standard motor go-kart was altered so that a person with disabilities could control it with one hand via a joystick. The first step was to establish the exact design requirements. Then the power systems to operate the steering, throttle, and brakes were selected and the analog control circuits and amplifiers to drive and control the power systems were built. Finally, the mechanisms to connect the power systems to the various functions on the go-kart were designed and built. The complete system was then tested with a group of children with disabilities, and problems with the system were identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kings College London, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tisdall
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004581:Electronics; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D006801:Humans; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012656:Self-Help Devices