Abstract
Intelligent nursing wheelchairs play a crucial role in providing independence and improving the quality of life for disabled or semi-disabled elderly individuals. However, their maneuverability and positioning capabilities have always been key challenges. Firstly, traditional mobility methods are limited by a large turning radius, restricting the wheelchair's maneuverability in confined spaces. To address this issue, this paper proposes a design for a Mecanum mobility chassis for nursing wheelchairs, utilizing four Mecanum wheels, allowing the wheelchair to move freely in any direction. This significantly enhances maneuverability, enabling the wheelchair to navigate challenges in narrow spaces effortlessly. However, the Mecanum wheel mobility chassis design faces some issues, including variations in Mecanum wheel spacing and tilting of the hub center, which may lead to slipping and inaccurate motion control. To tackle these problems, we have designed an innovative suspension system aimed at balancing the stability of the chassis, reducing the risk of slipping, and improving the accuracy of motion control. Finally, we conducted shock absorption and positioning experiments on the wheelchair body. The experimental results indicate that the novel suspension system markedly improves the control performance and landing capabilities of the nursing wheelchair, providing users with higher precision and stability.