One-hand drive-type power-assisted wheelchair with a direction control device using pneumatic pressure

Abstract

In this paper, we propose and develop a one-hand drive-type power-assisted wheelchair with a direction control device using pneumatic pressure sensors, for disabled persons who can use only their right or left arm. Compared with a joystick-type wheelchair, the advantages of the proposed wheelchair are that a disabled person can keep the functions of their arm, and can feel a sense that they are driving the wheelchair by the power of their arm. In the case of the wheelchair for disabled persons who can use only their right arm, the right wheel is rotated by the right hand and arm of the person. The left wheel is driven by an electric motor. For traveling in a straight line, the computer controls the motor as the angles of the right and left wheel are the same. When changing the direction of travel, the user uses a direction control device that consists of two vinyl tubes attached to both sides of a hand rim and pneumatic pressure sensors. Traveling experiments on a flat course with obstacles showed the validity of the proposed wheelchair system.

Keywords:

• Wheelchair
• one-hand drive
• power assist
• direction control
• pneumatic pressure sensor.