Wheelchair users will be rowing their way around the trails at Michigan Technological University, thanks to a team of senior engineering students.

For $3,000, the five built a prototype Human-Powered Off-Road Wheelchair.

The operator pulls back on the handlebars in a rowing motion to propel it at up to 4 miles per hour.

Associate professor and project director John Beard says his students had to overcome a number of challenges, including keeping the chair light enough and keeping it from rolling backward.

A key goal was to make the school's outdoor Tech Trails system accessible to those with disabilities.

Participant Josh Dorr says the design offers wider applications for recreation for the disabled.