My USB Wheelchair

one thing my eyegaze computer has always lacked is mobile internet connectivity. I won't bore you with the whys and hows but adding a usb 3g device isn't possible. So not being easily defeated I went about it from a different angle. Several companies make personal mobile 'hot spots' which are basically battery powered wireless access points with a 3g sim card. Upto 5 people can connect similtaneously. This meant I wouldn't need a physical Connection but just use wireless.


The mobile hot spot is tiny and fits in the small pocket on my feed pump bag. The rechargeable battery lasts a respectable 5 hours and it kept me online during my recent holiday. But it had to be taken out to charge everyday and I had to remember to put it back every morning. I wanted a it permanently powered and attached to the wheelchair, ready to use whenever I need it. So the next step was to get a usb power feed from the wheelchair. The most flexible way to achieve this was to get a power adaptor from the wheelchair to a standard 12v cigarette lighter socket then buy a £3 usb power adaptor to plug into it. A company called Smile Rehab made me the wheelchair power adaptor which plugs into a spare socket on the wheelchair's DX bus. Hey presto, usb charging facilities and internet access when I am out and about.   Thanks to Smile Rehab for making the unit so quickly and to Stuart for attaching it all!