Low-cost low-tech obstacle pushing/gliding wheelchair accessory

Abstract

Purpose: Some wheelchair users continue to struggle in maneuvering a wheelchair and navigating through manual doors. Several smart wheelchairs and robotic manipulators were developed to minimize such challenges facing disabled people. Disappointingly, a majority of these high-tech solutions are restricted to laboratories and are not extensively available as commercial products. Previously, a low-tech wheelchair accessory (arc-shaped with many wheels) for pushing doors was modelled and simulated. This work demonstrates the fabrication and testing of the first-generation prototype of the accessory.

Materials and methods: The accessory has side portions with a straight arrangement of wheels and a front portion with a straight-arc-straight arrangement of wheels. The accessory was fabricated using conventional manufacturing, off-the-shelf components, and 3D printed ABS fasteners. Stress analysis simulations were done for the fasteners that attach the front accessory to the wheelchair frame. The proof-of-concept of the prototype installed onto a powered wheelchair was tested with a door and an obstacle, each with ∼50 N resistance force.

Results: Prototype tests demonstrate the ability of the accessory along with the mechanical robustness of the 3D printed fasteners to push open doors allowing easy navigation through doors and to push/glide against obstacles. The accessory is foldable and detachable.

Conclusion: The low-cost of the accessory makes it affordable to many users intending to improve their quality of life. The current study provides an engineering perspective of the accessory, and a clinical perspective is crucial. Other potential applications of the wheelchair accessory include use with scooters, walkers and stretchers.

Implications for rehabilitation

• Low-cost, low-tech accessory is foldable and detachable.

• Accessory is effective for pushing doors and pushing/gliding against obstacles.

• Protective nature of the front accessory could prove highly beneficial to some wheelchair users.

Keywords:

• Wheelchair accessory
• obstacle pushing
• obstacle gliding
• 3D printing
• rapid prototyping
• finite element analysis
• prototype testing

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Malaysia under the Pre-Commercialisation Fund [UniSZA/15/DPP(001)/R0252]