Patent attributes
A device for adapting a manual wheelchair to drive with a powered wheel is disclosed. The device attached to the wheelchair provides means for raising the wheelchair front caster wheels and simultaneously having the powered wheel contact the driving surface. The disclosed device may be rotated so that the powered wheel lifts from the surface as the front caster wheels are lowered to contact the driving surface enabling manual operation of the wheelchair. The disclosed device includes a mechanism for steering the powered wheel, controls for varying the forward or backward speeds and braking. The device may be detached from the chair and is adaptable to fit a large variety of wheelchairs with capability for ergonomically adjusting the steering column for the comfort of the user. Optional human interface devices may be incorporated so the chair occupant may control speed and steering by operating a joystick, head array or other such devices.