Like the rest of the industrialized world, the population of the US is aging, and an aging population means an increase in the number of disabled people and other persons with limited mobility. This is occurring in a group that expects mobility as a given. One solution to this is the use of power mobility aids such as scooters and powered wheelchairs. Current units are limited in operating range by the limitation that can be overcome through the use of fuel cells. In Phase I of this project we demonstrated the efficacy of the key components for a fuel cell based hybrid power supply. In Phase II of this project we will build a complete hybrid power supply and integrate it into a powered wheelchair. ? ?
