Although there are an estimated 300,000 people using mobility scooters in Britain, there is little differentiation in the styles on offer. A US-based dental technician and part-time inventor dedicates his spare time to remedying the situation with his characterful contraptions.
American Lance Greathouse has been making mobility scooters and wheelchairs with a difference for decades. Living by his belief that “if you have to be in a chair, it should be a really cool chair”, he both designs one-of-a-kind machines for people with impaired mobility and customises existing scooters.
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, his designs have included 4×4 off-roaders and burnished chrome models that a Bond villain could take pride in. Recently, Greathouse Labs have created a mobility device, dubbed “Lord Humongous”, fitted with a flamethrower capable of firing a 35ft jet of flame– the length of a London bus. Costing £645 to build, the scooter was stitched together from a golf cart, a helicopter seat, all-terrain tyres and old dental machines.
This 6-wheel drive all terrain mobility vehicle, modelled by its creator, is intended to restore independence and inject personality. (Credit: Greathouse Labs)
Greathouse had an interest in mechanics, electrical engineering and pyrotechnics from early childhood, and was involved in a number of exciting projects in his early career including creating machines for BBC2’s Robot Wars.
But it was watching his brother, Brent, lose his mobility to a rare form of Parkinson’s disease which led him to begin designing unusual solutions to assist disabled people in their day-to-day activities – with a hefty sprinkling of attitude and humour. He continues to work on these ‘special projects’ in his spare time, working as a dental laser technician in his 9-5.
Each year, Greathouses donate one or two of his one-off inventions to deserving folk who need mobility assistance but for whom a lack of decent insurance cover makes finding solutions unaffordable. His Greathouse Labs is now appealing for donations through a crowd-funding website to allow this work to continue and scale.
The ETA’s own QTvan can be towed by mobility scooter and allows the user to enjoy all the comforts of home on a camping trip, without the need for a car. The ETA also provide excellent mobility scooter breakdown cover.
The ETA’s own QTvan can be towed by a mobility scooter for another way to stand out
Whether your mobility scooter has a flamethrower or not, we can help get you moving again when you break down. Click here for a quick and easy quote for mobility scooter breakdown cover.
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