Design of an Automated Multiposition Dynamic Wheelchair

Abstract

This work presents a design for an automatized multiposition dynamic wheelchair used to transport quadriplegic patients by reconfiguring a manual wheelchair structure. An electric actuator is attached to a four-bar mechanism fixed to each side of a wheelchair’s backrest to reach multiposition. The entire device is actuated through a PID controller. An experimental test is carried out in a simplified wheelchair structure. Finally, the structure of the wheelchair is evaluated through the Dynamic analysis and Finite Element Method under the payload computed with the most critical position reached by the mechanism.