A research team at the Southern Taiwan University of Technology in Tainan County has invented a new type of solar powered wheelchair which integrates the functions of existing manual and electric wheelchairs and can be sold for a cheaper price, the university said yesterday.
Both hand-powered and electric wheelchairs on the market have their own drawbacks, with the former prone to causing muscle ache and the latter lead to a decline in cardiopulmonary function due to a lack of exercise, the sources said.
Against this backdrop, a research team in the university's Mechanical Engineering Department has tried to modify conventional wheelchairs to use solar energy.
The new invention was designed to provide renewable energy resources without worrying about power supply problem and the drawbacks of the traditional wheelchairs.
A conventional fully-powered electric wheelchair can go approximately 7km on a charge, but in contrast, a solar powered wheelchair can go 10km to 12km.
The price of a traditional electric wheelchair stands between NT$30,000 to NT$50,000, while the price of a solar powered wheelchair is likely to be priced below NT$15,000 after going into mass production.
The product won a prize in a university invention contest earlier this year. The design team has applied for a patent on the invention.
Noting that the wheelchair-using population in Taiwan is estimated at more than 100,000, the university said the innovation will be a boon to them.
A report by the Council for Economic Planning and Development said Taiwan ranked first in the world in eight categories of high-tech products last year, including electric mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs, taking 45 percent of the global market.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS