Pendulum Braking System for Wheelchairs
Gwyn-Nor Elementary School
North Wales, PA
Problem: Difficulty controlling the speed of a wheelchair when going down ramps and sloped areas.
Solution: Using trigonometry and mechanical devices, created a pendulum braking system that applies pressure to the back wheels by remaining perpendicular to sea level even as the chair slopes downward.
At an awards ceremony held at Epcot at Walt Disney World, finalist teams receive $36,000 in savings bonds for their winning entries. The competition is geared toward middle school-age children, and gives kids experience in solving problems using the scientific process of exploring, analyzing and drawing conclusions.
