Summary
21 April 2007: first project team meeting; decision is made to focus on the construction of the RandoCHAR,
Summer 2007: the Papidjacs ask for the academic world collaboration through the « Center for Research in Mechatronics » (CEREM) of the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL-Belgium) and the Engineering Unit for Land vehicles of the Mechanic and Civil Engineering Department of the University of Liège (ULG-Belgium),
28 June 2008: in the provincial Domain of Mirwart (Belgium), with the attendance of the provincial press and a delegation of the PRM community and under the patronage of the Province of Luxembourg (Belgium), the electromechanical students of UCL and ULG present their conception and design work for the RandoCHAR in terms of frame and motorization,
Academic year 2008-2009: a new ULG team carries on and improves the design of the RandoCHAR. The High Institute Blaise Pascal (HEBP, now merged within the new HENALLUX entity) of Virton (Belgium) is associated to the project and one year later its Research Department takes over the project leadership.
Academic year 2010-2011: a team of industrial engineering students from HENALLUX pushes further the optimization of the design of the RandoCHAR, mainly in the management of the horizontal trim on which the PRM in his/her wheelchair is embarked.
In parallel,
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the Research Department secures the collaboration of the industrial world by setting up a partnership with CMI-EMI (Cockerill Maintenance and Enginering) of Aubange (Belgium), a firm operating in the field of special vehicles for more than 30 years
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Les Papidjacs formally demonstrate the interest for the RandoCHAR by putting together a first list of collaboration with nine organisations involved in the PRM community, among others the Mutualité Chrétienne, Altéo, QUALIAS …
February 2011: appliance for a FIRST project with the Walloon Region in order to continue the project with an industrialisation and marketing phase. But the project is not selected.
Then the stakeholders decide to pursue the project along the following lines:
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HENALLUX and CMI-EMI team up for the finalisation of the design and the realisation of a first RandoCHAR prototype by 2014
→ Les Papidjacs grant a financial help for the realisation of the prototype
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The Province of Luxembourg prepares a trial track in the provincial Domain of Mirwart
28 October 2011: Les Papidjacs are transformed into a NFPO under Belgian law.
Academic year 2011-2012: a new team of industrial engineering students from HENALLUX pushes further the optimization of the design of the RandoCHAR, bringing
new improvements in the management of the horizontal trim.
September 2012: full revamping of the www.lespapidjacs.be web site.
Academic year 2012-2013: two new teams of industrial engineering students from HENALLUX take over the project and refine the technical solutions. First contact
with the Green Propulsion company (www.greenpropulsion.be) in order to validate the motorisation solution
(engine and batteries).
May 2013: Les Papillons de Saint-Jacques General Meeting
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Putting an end to the detailed design and building up the first prototype will call for the hiring of a full-time researcher as well as buying
construction material
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Identification of 3 financing avenues: Regional Minister of Sports, network of « business angels » and Regional Department in charge of R&D
projects
December 2013: extended Board (Les Papillons de Saint-Jacques + representative of HENALLUX)
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The only remaining avenue for a sufficient financing is the Regional Department in charge of R&D projects which can grant a cofinancing up to 75%
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25% to be financed with own funds and via a fund raising campaign (hence the necessity to get the fiscal deduction from the Minister of
Finance)
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Decision to protect the RandoCHAR trademark
May 2014: Les Papillons de Saint-Jacques General Meeting
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Working out the cofinancing file calls for new contacts with HENALLUX, Green Propulsion and CMI
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As for the 25%, decision to prepare a file for the Elia Funds which grants financing for PRM projets
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The recording of the RandoCHAR is not possible because it is composed of two common language words. Decision to get rid of the RandoCHAR and adopt the
Papidjac; the “Papidjac” trademark will be recorded (together with a logo still to be designed) in the class 12 (vehicles) in the 28 countries of the European Union
for a 10-year period
June 2014: the file for fiscal deduction is sent out.