Vacuum Wheelchair Tire Scrubber

Active wheelchairs users struggle to adequately clean their tires before entering their homes or other buildings, tracking in dirt and debris that is difficult to clean. Existing solutions are stationary and get the user dirty.

• I experimented with different vacuum shroud geometries and materials to optimize suction and debris containment.
• With feedback from wheelchair users and clinicians at the Shepherd Center I refined the device to minimize the downward force needed by a user and function without the need for grip strength and dexterity.
• I designed tests to determine the bristle stiffness, length, and rotational speed that is most effective for wheelchair tires.

Concept diagram of the vacuum wheelchair tire scrubber.

The portable vacuum wheelchair tire scrubber invention was sold by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Applied Research REAR Lab at Georgia Tech to the Craig Nielson foundation for $143,000 using this proof-of-concept.

Proof-of-concept prototype created with 3D-printed and off-the-shelf components.