Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/379417
Designer draws from functionality of power wheelchairs Inspiration can strike from just about any- where, and once the idea for a joystick-con- trolled vehicle took shape for design engineer Bill Stuck, he quickly turned his idea into real- ity. Drawing from the functionality of joystick- controlled power wheelchairs, Stuck took that concept and applied it to configuring a side-by- side to work in the same manner. "I'm a big tinkerer," Stuck admitted. "I origi- nally got the idea a couple years back watching 'Monster Garage' with Jesse James." The show featured a remote con- trolled car built from a '71 Chevrolet Monte Carlo dirt track racecar. Stuck went to the garage and immediately drew up the plans. A motorcycle and dirt rider himself, he realized that his project could have greater implications. "In the same way that horseback riding can be therapeutic for those suffering from spinal or neurological disabilities, I think driving one of these can help too," Stuck said, pointing to his latest conversion, a joystick-controlled 2014 Polaris RZR 1000 4x4. "Even more so, think of all of the hand-eye coordination necessary, the response-time needed to drive. There's a lot of good to come from this." The conversion from a left-side driver to a right-side joystick is surprisingly smooth. "Everything I do can be reversed back to stock," Stuck explained. "The electric controls that operate the brake, the throttle and the steering work parallel to the factory systems. Nothing is interrupted." True to his word, he designed the joystick control system to require very little fabrication or hardware. "The modified systems have been built to withstand the abuse these machines are designed for," he continued. A series of switches on the dash are really the only permanent modifications. "Control of the side-by-side is 100-percent transferable. The left-side driver (Safety Driver) can operate the pedals alone, or the whole operation with a flip of a switch." A throttle override also helps limit the avail- able throw to keep riders from engaging full throttle in panic situations. The limiter is a sim- ple in-dash dial indicator that can be adjusted for each rider's ability or comfort level. Addi- tional safety features include full race-grade seatbelt harnesses, an emergency kill-switch and specialized foam padding. Stuck has built several of these UTV joystick conversions for off-road enthusiasts who have suffered debilitating injuries. He has also intro- duced his specialized vehicle to others with hereditary disabilities living in group homes. One such visit with a group of young adults was particularly special to Stuck and one lucky young man. "We only went around the parking lot a few minutes, but it was the first time the young man had driven any vehicle in his life. It opened up a whole new world for him." And that has been the goal all along. To bring the experience of off-road driving to those who would otherwise have to stay on the blacktop. The Design Ability joystick conversion is unique to each make and model of UTV, as it is to each patient's needs. PSB Joystick controlled conversion enables disabled off-roaders 30 • September 8, 2014 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com The joystick control can be turned off, allowing the converted UTV to be driven normally using the left-side steering wheel and pedals. The Design Ability joystick conversion allows a side-by-side to be controlled with a joystick, much like a power wheelchair.