Design and development of solar power-assisted manual/electricwheelchair

摘要

Wheelchairs are an essential assistive device formany individuals with injury or disability. Manual wheelchairsprovide a relatively lowcost solution to the mobility needs ofsuch individuals. Furthermore, they provide an effective meansof improving the user’s cardiopulmonary function and upperlimbmuscle strength. However, manual wheelchairs have agross loss of mechanical efficiency, and thus the risk of userfatigue and upperlimb injury is increased. Electricpoweredwheelchairs reduce the risk of injury and provide a more convenientmeans of transportation. However, they have a largephysical size and are relatively expensive. Accordingly, thepresent study utilizes a quality function deployment method todevelop a wheelchair with a userselectable manual/electricpropulsion mode and an auxiliary solar power supply system.The auxiliary solar power supply increased the travel range ofthe wheelchair by approximately 26% compared with that of awheelchair powered by battery alone. Moreover, the wheelchairhas a modular design and can be disassembled and foldedfor ease of transportation or storage. Overall, the presentresults suggest that the proposed wheelchair provides an effectiveand convenient means of meeting the mobility needs ofindividuals with mobility difficulties.