Ergonomic wheelchair design

Abstract

Wheelchair is a mobility gadget designed to be replacement for walking, moving physically challenged people from one place to other with the help of attendee or by means of self-propelling. The wheelchair is divided into two categories based on the power used mobility: Manually powered wheelchair, electrically powered wheel chair. This project focuses on redesign of electrically driven wheelchair, which runs with electric power however joystick is required for manual operation to operate the movements of chair. The design of wheelchair happened by means of literature review to know its evaluation from past to present generation. Different methodologies have been proposed based on human anthropometric data and tested for sitting and lying as well as standing mechanism of the wheelchair to maximize the utility of chair by including features like back reclination and lifting of wheelchair.. Wheelchairs are not only for those who have no use of their lower extremities, but also for those who tire out easily because of muscular and nerve degenerating conditions. This work is to provide ergonomic constraints for user’s maximum comfort while dealing with various body movements like sitting, lying and lifting. The final output is a wheelchair with very simple mechanism which gives the facility to lie down by reclining the chair backwards and lift upto the desired level with maximum upto standing height. Apart from this simple mechanism ergonomic constraints have been given so that patient can avoid large pressure on body parts allowing body flexibility.