Winch - What is the priority?

[Crissa]

PoE is an intrinsic and critical part of my business. I'm very familiar. The power you can send down a 22 gauge wire is very low. The source products (switches) can run into a couple hundred watts, but not thousands. PoE is only useful for a turn signal or maybe a wiper motor (MAYBE), but no real power. I agree with Crissa on 120VAC as a good all around compromise.

Yes, but if you have a 500a source, and aren't using the legs of the POE, it could power something like this directly.

Also, that 469a 12v winch would be replaced by an 118a 48v winch.

-Crissa

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[slomobile]

Maybe the midgate option will work for some, but surely not for heavy people, they will always need the hoist.

For my CT real world scenario :


My wife has been caring for a quadriplegic gentleman for about 4 years now.

We have taken him on day trips with his van, and a couple of cruises. Mobility is the issue. Cruise has been his goto option.

He was the roaming nomad type, motorbike and dog, and sleeping by the roadside. That was decades ago. Engineer wannabe.

He is heavy, I'm hoping we can get him into a seat using the hoist..(I've only ever used the van with ramp)

No winch required. The empty wheelchair will drive itself up the ramp. I can hang on if it requires counter leaving. I think, easy-peasy.

Plans are afoot !! All he has to do is turn up with his carer at an airport near where we are, and he can have a holiday without the general restrictions of transport, or charging issues. A tent under the awning with a blow up bed will do the trick for sleeping. Can take him anywhere, and drop him off anywhere.

Yet unheralded, by including the ramp as a stock standard item, for the disabled community, the everyday CT will be a revelation.

That gentleman and I share almost every feature you describe except I can still walk briefly and use my arms. It makes a universe of difference, but I partially share his point of view. Any chance for an outing is treasured. I'm sure he appreciates it deeply.

Wheelchair accessibility as a stock feature was the one suggestion I wrote to Tesla about when they were soliciting ideas shortly after launch. I mentioned suspension kneeling, the ramp, how useful it would be to enter the cab from the wheelchair in the bed, activate FSD from screens other than the driver seat(wheelchair mounted), charge a chair like the cyberquad. I think I even made a bad joke about disabled CT drivers being the real cyberquads. I'll claim partial credit for midgate if it actually happens.

The onboard cyberquad charger could be a high current DC connection suitable for powering a winch. Although its probably AC.

A CT bed mounted hoist that can pivot and extend radially might just be able to plop him down in any seat depending how the midgate actually turns out. Those hoists are already a thing for lifting wheelchairs into the bed of a truck. A Hoyer yoke on the same hoist can carry the person.

The tailgate ramp would need to be longer or kneel lower than the launch prototype to be ADA compliant(steepness) for occupied chairs. But that doesn't matter if CT isn't marketed for use as a wheelchair accessible vehicle. A steep ramp is fine for an unoccupied chair.

I stand beside a steep ramp and drive my powerchair into the back of an SUV all the time. It has a bit of pucker factor. The midwheels spin at the bottom, it rides over the ramp edge barrier, or bangs the joystick into the roof, but practical as a stopgap wheelchair transport. Just need to yank the seatback off to make it short enough.
A winch or hoist line pulling an occupied or unoccupied chair up the regular CT ramp would be lots safer than trying to drive up. No tipping over backwards, staying inline.

Finally had to admit to myself that CT wouldn't be here before winter so am trading the SUV for a ramp van in the mean time. Plans afoot indeed!

I'm trying to write an ArduPilot Rover CAN driver for wheelchairs so we can use their Mission Planner software to navigate nature trails and stuff. https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/wheelchair-guidance/86575/31
Luci.com is working on autonomous ramp navigation using April tags I think, but its not open source. I'll tackle that once I have the driver working.

 

[charliemagpie]

Onya slomobile,

Sure sounds like you two are 2 peas in a pod. He can move his hand to operate the chair, and swing up to scratch his chin. A bit of other, can be a temperamental bugger... but it's quickly over.

You are looking at mods to the CT which will facilitate the disabled, that is excellent. if not Tesla, surely a third party will get it done. There will be lots of different needs.. not one can fit all.

I am looking at the extra opportunity just a stock standard CT will bring. CT will be everywhere. A friend, nephew or cousin... even hire one. Just go to the beach, get on the bed in the wheelchair, tie it down and go for a drive lol. Tie a fishing rod holder to the chair, roll off onto maxtrax and join in.

Get the chair bogged, lots of drama, hell of a time getting back in the CT. Great day out. !

 

[JBee]

That gentleman and I share almost every feature you describe except I can still walk briefly and use my arms. It makes a universe of difference, but I partially share his point of view. Any chance for an outing is treasured. I'm sure he appreciates it deeply.

Wheelchair accessibility as a stock feature was the one suggestion I wrote to Tesla about when they were soliciting ideas shortly after launch. I mentioned suspension kneeling, the ramp, how useful it would be to enter the cab from the wheelchair in the bed, activate FSD from screens other than the driver seat(wheelchair mounted), charge a chair like the cyberquad. I think I even made a bad joke about disabled CT drivers being the real cyberquads. I'll claim partial credit for midgate if it actually happens.

The onboard cyberquad charger could be a high current DC connection suitable for powering a winch. Although its probably AC.

A CT bed mounted hoist that can pivot and extend radially might just be able to plop him down in any seat depending how the midgate actually turns out. Those hoists are already a thing for lifting wheelchairs into the bed of a truck. A Hoyer yoke on the same hoist can carry the person.

The tailgate ramp would need to be longer or kneel lower than the launch prototype to be ADA compliant(steepness) for occupied chairs. But that doesn't matter if CT isn't marketed for use as a wheelchair accessible vehicle. A steep ramp is fine for an unoccupied chair.

I stand beside a steep ramp and drive my powerchair into the back of an SUV all the time. It has a bit of pucker factor. The midwheels spin at the bottom, it rides over the ramp edge barrier, or bangs the joystick into the roof, but practical as a stopgap wheelchair transport. Just need to yank the seatback off to make it short enough.
A winch or hoist line pulling an occupied or unoccupied chair up the regular CT ramp would be lots safer than trying to drive up. No tipping over backwards, staying inline.

Finally had to admit to myself that CT wouldn't be here before winter so am trading the SUV for a ramp van in the mean time. Plans afoot indeed!

I'm trying to write an ArduPilot Rover CAN driver for wheelchairs so we can use their Mission Planner software to navigate nature trails and stuff. https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/wheelchair-guidance/86575/31
Luci.com is working on autonomous ramp navigation using April tags I think, but its not open source. I'll tackle that once I have the driver working.

I don't think the CT ramp would be safe angle for wheelchair access. The tilting lowering suspension will help, but what I think you really need is a lift seat and a way to stow the wheelchair in the rear seat, or rear bed. The midgate (if there is one at all) wouldn't work for entry into the vehicle as it is not high enough at all (less than 1m). Ideally, I suppose a CyberVan setup would probably fit your particular application better, as it would for many others.

There are definitely a few improvements that some decent automation would help with, none of us are getting any younger and access to vehicular assistance features will only increase in demand over time, so any development in that area is will worth pursuing. (BTW Ardupilot buddies huh...small world )

Maybe you should start a thread dedicated to mobility challenged vehicle access to discuss in more detail.

 

[slomobile]

BUT...it would also just be much smarter to simply have multiple converters at the right voltage.

If you only need one voltage, why would you use multiple converters? Just more current? How about more capacity instead?

The problem solved by modular converters is accommodating a few different accessories that require different voltages using a single part number.
Maybe the solution is to not tap the main battery at all, but just provide cargo space for up to 4 group 24 auxilliary 12v batteries and 4 isolated bank 12v battery chargers tied to the main charge controller on the vehicle. When vehicle is on charge, the 4 batteries are isolated from each other and their loads with relays. When vehicle off charger, the 4(or less) batteries revert to whatever series-parallel load arrangement the user has set up.

Maybe those 4 batteries could be removable without tools to take to multiple tents, to the boat trolling motor,
or to charge with solar in a field away from camp while CT remains in shade.
Throw a micro hydro turbine in a stream to charge one.
A windmil to charge another.
A bike dynamo to charge the 4th.
Grab 2 of them and an XLR cable to add range to my wheelchair.
Winch use would not deplete the main pack.

Are there any other DC voltages which we can predict folks might want to use? I think these below can all be accommodated using sub modules on top of 12, 24, 36, 48 nominal taps.

3.3v for logic, Li cell charging, 5v USB, USB-C PD PPS, 12v existing winches and accessories, 19v solar panels and laptops, 24v wheelchair, truck, and NATO accessories, 36v hoverboards, E bikes, scooters, 48v industrial stuff. Above 60v safety precautions start to take up additional volume so it might be best to just build it in to the vehicle.

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