Laborers can lift thousands of pounds easily with the Haulz-All prepackaged accessory power drive system from ASI Technologies Inc., Horsham, Pa. ( www.asidrives.com). The system converts any wheel-based human-powered cart, tool chest, wagon, or similar device into a maneuverable, high-payload transporter. It can move 6,000 lb at an average speed of 1.65 mph for approximately 1.5 miles between charges of a rechargeable battery.

The heart of the unit is a drive system made up of a patented transaxle and industrial-capacity PMDC traction motor mounted on a sealed gear-drive system with integral differential. Two 24-V, 12-A/hr sealed lead-acid batteries power the unit. A fully programmable microprocessor-based controller manages acceleration, deceleration, speed, power-down time, current limit, and other parameters. The operator/interface control unit mounts magnetically to one end of the transport device. A dual-brake system includes a dynamic brake to keep the unit from topping a predetermined speed, and a static brake, which automatically switches on when the unit stops.