Leveraged Freedom Chair

What is the problem with current wheelchairs? They are not versatile enough for developing countries' unpaved roads, steep hillsides and generally handicap unfriendly buildings. Enter the Leveraged Freedom Chair, a more powerful wheelchair controlled by levers that moves like a mountain bike.  More information after the jump.

The LFC is made entirely from bike parts and works similarly to a mountain bike. The wheelchair uses a lever system to maneuver with different grips offering different benefits—a high grip gives more torque, a low grip increases angular velocity—sorta like switching gears on a bike. Bonus points: any old bike shop will be able to repair it too.

The team behind the LFC actually built two models of the wheelchair, a version for developing countries and another for first-world countries. Buyers of the first-world model (better construction, lighter, etc) charitably pay for the developing countries' too. $3000 gets you the first-world LFC and gives three developing countries models away to those in need.