According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 65 million people use a wheelchair.
Using these wheelchairs can be cumbersome and physically demanding, especially when considering long distances. Manual wheelchair users often struggle to get up ramps to get into buildings. Electric wheelchairs often have their own problems, as they are generally expensive and heavy. The WHO reported that 20 million individuals requiring a wheelchair, did not have one that fit their needs. This team intends to address these problems by creating an installable device that assists manual wheelchair users when climbing ramps. The suggested demographic for this device would be disabled people who can’t afford electric wheelchairs. We as a team believe this project could be a very high quality of life increase for the suggested demographic. Providing appropriate wheelchairs for those in need provides opportunities for personal and professional advancement for disabled individuals.
Some physical requirements include the device's ability to fit universally with almost all manual wheelchairs. The device should be either easily attachable and detachable, or the device must not affect the foldability of the wheelchair. If the device is attachable/detachable, it must be attachable by someone who is not disabled. The device must have a maximum weight equivalent to or less than the lifting capability of the bottom 25% of all people. If we focus on the device not affecting the foldability of the chair, the combined weight of the wheelchair and device must not exceed the lifting capability of the bottom 25% of all people. The device must have a strong enough battery to climb the user to at least 100 latitudinal combined feet worth of ramps. The device must have the strength to assist a user of a maximum of 300 pounds by decreasing the energy input by 50%. If the combined weight of the wheelchair, device, and user does not exceed 150 pounds, the user will not have to put any effort when using the hill assist device. The wheelchair must remain stable when the device is attached and in use. The device must be rechargeable. The device must be water-resistant but not waterproof. The device must be safe for all users. Our team has felt called to focus our senior design project on a wheelchair hill assist device for manual wheelchair users. Two team members live with an individual who relies on a manual wheelchair, and they see firsthand the daily challenges and limitations non-electric wheelchairs have. One of these individuals finds it challenging to purchase an electric wheelchair and frequently expresses frustration about the exhausting task of ascending a ramp, especially when it does not adhere to the ADA Code.
This motivated the team to try and create an affordable solution to improve the individual's quality of life. The team plans on setting project goals by analyzing the project needs and requirements. The goals of the project will state what the project ultimately wants to achieve in terms of targets and impact. The team plans to set goals in a way that their competition is quantifiable and verifiable.
Our team doesn't expect developing this device to be problem-free. In the design of our product, we expect to encounter the following issues: finding a motor and battery combination with the lifespan to meet the battery life and power requirements; learning to wire the device in a manner where the wires cannot get caught in the wheel; keeping the weight down for the wheelchair to remain portable; maintaining a heat transfer balance when considering the battery choice; building the device’s shell in a matter that will remain water resistant; learning to program the controller for the device; and following local and federal safety guidelines to ensure the device is safe to use is a significant constraint.
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