I made a magnetic power cable for mobility scooters (but I wish I wouldn’t have had to)…

BACKGROUND

My dad has a mobility scooter, which is really helpful, because it allows him to get around in spite of his mobility issues. So it’s a bit paradoxical that the thing is designed with a charging plug that he can’t use!

There is a huge overlap in people who have mobility issues and who have issues with fine motor skills. But it seems the people designing mobility scooters are so laser-focused on mobility, that they inadvertently have made a product that a large chunk of users will  struggle to charge.

In my dads case the issue is now solved with some off the shelf components and a couple of 3D printed enclosures. It works essentially as an “extension cord” between the charger and the scooter that has a custom magnetic connector in the middle. This means neither the charger or scooter is modified.

So the issue is solved. But it would be nice if designers of assistive tech would be a bit better at thinking of their end-users more holistically.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

The device consists of:

The main part of the connector is a 3D printed handle that is ergonomic enough to grab a hold of with ease. In the bottom of the handle, a XLR cable connector is placed so the scooter charger can connect to it. The other end of the handle has 3 magnetic connectors rated at 125v 10A (which is over the 24v/10A that the scooter charger delivers). This connects to a housing placed on the scooter, that runs the other part of the 3 magnetic connectors to the scooters power cable.

Using the XLR connectors allows the magnetic connection to sit between the charger and the scooter without actually modifying either.

BUILD INSTRUCTIONS

BOM:

• Magnetic plugs, 10mm 10A. I bought mine here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004182554268.html?spm=a2g0o.order_detail.order_detail_item.3.6461f19cFSE34R
• XLR female panel – I bought mine here: https://www.av-cables.dk/xlr-stik-4/3-pin-xlr-panel-hun-stik-til-lodning.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzZmwBhD8ARIsAH4v1gV-0VQpX7idBc15EqmKeIhZgD65-_aeToR1FRWdQH8igvEB_nhWoAwaAmcJEALw_wcB
• XLR male 90 degree angle connector – like this: https://www.thomann.de/dk/neutrik_nc_3_mrx.htm?glp=1&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzZmwBhD8ARIsAH4v1gUf__naOEUN90wVt225TYlP8ujbThmMRIM-huylnVQxt-G7E9_YWPcaAqqGEALw_wcB
• 2 lengths of 3 wire 220v, 10A wire, a short length for inside the handle and a longer length for connecting the box to the scooter.
• a few tiny screws

STL files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6554662

Raw design files are here: https://www.tinkercad.com/things/bDwI7kjm6Pi-handle?sharecode=BmTrtZXymcymjCTMs9CsGFBJvitgxqX6Hxbt8w7ryz0

FUTHER READING

I had originally wanted to make a robot that connected the power cable automatically, but ended up with this solution in stead. The reasons are explained here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nklfrost_i-read-against-technoableism-by-ashley-shew-activity-7173288479559147520-h3o-

Oh – and this made it onto Hackaday!

If this is a problem for you, and you want some sparring on how to source/make a solution, don’t hesitate to reach out.