Hacking a mobility scooter for features and lights (emf2026)

Following the talk "Remote controlled chaos cart" at EMF 2024, I have been inspired to do my own take on the same idea. But instead of starting with a trolley and a hoverboard, I decided to start with a mobility scooter. I have ME/CFS, and get to use a mobility scooter most of the time while out and about. But they are fundamentally boring vehicles, and could use a little adapting to be more fun. They are also 24v vehicles, and it is amazing just how many 12v devices can be used at 24v. After starting with a USB charger, I moved on to lights, and then a foot pedal for speed control. Arduinos were involved and sacrificed. A diversion was had when my motor failed, but I then returned to adapting the horn, and then having to transfer much of the stuff to a new scooter when a second motor failed and couldn't be replaced.

The takeaway is somewhere along the lines of "Just because you have to use a mobility scooter, it doesn't have to be plain, boring, and can be hacked for interesting features". Mine certainly is now.

Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
about this event: https://www.emfcamp.org/schedule/2026/86-hacking-a-mobility-scooter-for-features-and-lights