Innovative Design of Ergonomic Wheelchair For Disabled People

Abstract

Abstract For disabled people, difficulties in daily activities still become a major problem, especially for those who do not have normal legs. This condition requires an appliance to ease them in moving that is wheelchair. However, the use of the existing wheelchair still gives problems such as pain in buttock (90%), waist (93%), hands (86%), thigh (90%), and back (93%). Furthermore, the chair is easily damaged (83%), difficult to manoeuvre and move (83%), as well as expensive (67%). Thus, it is crucial to improve wheelchair. The objective of this study was to propose an ergonomic and innovative redesign of wheelchair in order to be able to satisfy users’ need. The QFD method was used to determine the design specification of the wheelchair. Survey was done to identify user requirements of the design. Statistical analysis was implemented to test hypothesis. The result of this study showed that the proposed design of the wheelchair is valid to satisfy user criteria at 5% significance level since it is more comfortable, stronger, affordable, easier to use, easier to repair and easier to move.