What do you get when you cross a wheelchair and a tank?
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ALOHA, Ore. - An Aloha man has found an interesting way to give disabled people mobility like they have never known before.
It's called the Hoogie Trax and it's a wheelchair/tank kind of rig that Tony Richmond put together. He made his own tracks and used 20 skateboard wheels on each side to keep it rolling.
"I've never gotten it stuck - I mean it just doesn't get stuck," Richmond said.
The vision started 20 years ago when he saw a man riding down the street in a power chair. "It just seemed like a natural progression that if you really want to go places, put tracks on that thing," he said.
Richmond finally started working on the project a couple of years ago and while he admits he's not the first to make a track chair, he is convinced that his is the best.
"I've got the most ground clearance of any chair out there, so stumps and rocks - I can get right over the top of them," he said.
Richmond said the Hoogie Trax can be used on the beach, in the snow, you name it. And he's filed for a patent because he has a serious goal of giving the handicapped a ride that can take them all over. And he also hopes to be able to rent the chairs out at local events.
I have the answer for the title..."A not so disabled person on a wheelchair tank."
I like the idea of this, but the implementation can be tricky. Running a vehicle like this through mud, snow, sand, etc., will require a great deal more power than running a power chair down the sidewalk. I would hate to see a disabled person get out in the middle of nowhere and be stranded by a dead battery. Furthermore, these surface conditions can be deceptive and dangerous; it seems that a user would be more likely to put himself at risk of tipping over or getting stuck.
Johny number 5 ALIVE!
I hope that no dog's tail or some grand child's hand gets stuck between the track and the wheels. This looks pretty dangerous to me.
You know those Hoveround commercials boasting the mobility of their powered chairs? I just want to see this one storm onto the scene, flying through some thick mud in the woods, climbing sand dunes, climbing stairs, you name it. You could deploy these things from a C-130.
Now if it only had some armor it would be perfect in Portland and other big cities!
That is way cool, at least she won't get stuck in snow, unless her battery dies. I also like the metal art work, which looks like a dragon?
I hope Tony produces alot of these, Imagine going to the beach or trails in one of these.  Great for kids too. Don't have to just go on sidewalks; grassy areas, beaches, trails, and won't get stuck. Way to go Tony!
 @adeliajune yeah, god forbid someone who can, actually get up and walk.
 @beernpizza  @adeliajuneÂ
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My wife asked me once when we should give our kid a "power" car. I said never.
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"If the kids wants a car", I replied, "He can peddle the damn thing. I see no reason an able bodied person should be powered any distance that can be walked. "
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"Number 5 is alive!" Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenburg's cult little movie called "Short Circuit" reminds me of this. Good luck with it!
Nice. Giving the disabled more mobility is a worthy goal.
 @RalphCramden As long as it is someone who is actually disabled. I see another avenue of medicare fraud here.
 @beernpizza Â
ANd Medicare fraud eats up $60 billion per year in wasted tax payer money.
thats a nice idea but not the first time its been done http://www.howeandhowetechnologies.com/outreach.php
 @franksbeans Nobody said it was. He just said he thinks his is better.Â
I just wanna know whats that on the lawn next to her??? If these Hoggie Trax's draw those out of the woods, no one needs one..........
"What do you get when you cross a wheelchair and a tank?"
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A squished wheelchair.
 @Mikey I was thinking, don't bring a wheel chair to a tank fight.
But where's the big ol' turret gun? Â What good is off-road mobility if you can't blow up the car parked in a handicapped spot by a rude person who isn't handicapped? Â lol
But to answer the question,
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You get a whank.
 @WendyTeagarden I can see it now...a bunch of whankers on the Pacific Crest Trail
@str1ngb3nd3r There's no problem with that, mate.
 @WendyTeagarden I sure hope not...I'd be in no condition to have to drag mine back if it were to blow a track.
 @WendyTeagarden You beat me to the punch line!
@DeaconBugg I think we were typing at the same time.....sorry
Very cool. I hope this enables some to do more than they would've been able to do.
@DeaconBugg I wonder how much they are? I would love to get one for my mom, she loves to work in the yard, but no longer can. the chair gets stuck, and if she walkes with her cane she tips over easy and can't get up. This would be great for her and our roses.
 @Pvpbw Sorry, but that comment about your mom made me imagine one of those Benny Hill-type sketches with older people randomly tipping over at various times. I miss Benny Hill.
Whoot!  I'll take one with a turbo V-6, street-huger headers and cattle guard bumper up front!
 @None some fuzzy dice and curb feelers and you gotta ride....
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@None don't forget the fog lights and turn signals.
You put your right trax in
You put your right trax out
You do the Hoogie Poogie
and you turn yourself about
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Tha's what it's all about
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@Bobloblaw No. I seldom watch local TV and I do not have Dish. Sounds typical, though.