Electric-Powered Vegetable-Picking Cart

A three-wheeled Electric-Powered Vegetable-Picking Cart, built by Raleigh, NC, inventor Russell Jones, allows the worker to harvest vegetable crops from a sitting position. It is 22 inches wide and 17 inches high, rides 5 inches off the ground, and is propelled by a 1/3-horsepower electric motor that runs off 12-volt batteries. A riding lawnmower seat was mounted just ahead of the back axle, with a plywood platform in front of the seat to carry buckets or other containers. The single front wheel, which is steered by a “T” handle that extends back toward the seat, can be locked into place so the cart will travel straight down a row, allowing the worker to use both hands for harvesting.

Cost: $10 (for blueprints)

Impairment Category: Back, Lower extremity, Strength/endurance