Wheelchairs
| Designers: | jtaggard |
|---|---|
| Tools: | Wrenches, Soldering irons |
| Parts: | Frames, Nuts, Bolts, Motors, Batteries, Wires, Electrical connectors, Wheels |
| Techniques: | Wheels and axles, Tri joints |
Introduction
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability.
Challenges
Current electric wheelchair users constantly have to deal with high insurance prices and long wait times when it comes to purchasing and repairing their electric wheelchair. Specifically, our sponsor Pamela had to wait several months just to have her caster wheel assembly replaced. For someone who requires their chair for a main mode of transport, this is unacceptable. Additionally, the wheelchair manufacturers have been creating chairs with lower specs (torque, average speed, etc.) while insurance companies are raising the costs to own such a chair.
The goal of the project was to avoid these negative setbacks and also prove someone could build their own electric powered wheelchair in their garage using basic tools such as a chop saw and drill press. The scope of our project included producing a working drive-train and frame that would provide a solid foundation for our sponsors, WHIM Unlimited, to develop a fully working and refined electric powered wheelchair. We hope this assembly guide will provide the necessary framework for others to build their own chair, ending the longtime dependence on inconvenient health and insurance companies. This guide is by no means includes a final product, but rather a proof of concept and a framework for others to build off of to fit their own personal mobility needs.
Based on our meetings with our sponsors, we determined our chair would need to exhibit the following:
- Powertrain
- Powerful motor
- Ability to climb road curbs
- Good acceleration
- Body
- Stable and sturdy
- Maneuverable
- Meets ADA specifications
- Overall
- Safe
- Modular
- Easy to build (no complex geometries)
- Easily obtainable standard parts (minimize custom parts)
- Long lasting
- Adaptable to the user
Approaches
Powered
Based on our project needs, we created the following project specifications:
- Powertrain Specifications
- 3 MPH up a 4 degree incline
- Can go up a 10 degree curb (bump)
- Accelerate from 0 to 5 MPH in under 2 seconds
- Max speed of 8 MPH (wheelchairs on the market average about 4 MPH)
- Frame Specifications
- Max size of 30"x42" (ADA)
- Chair height of 15" to 25" off the ground
- Can handle a 500 lb load
- Turn radius < 44" (taken from ADA chair dimensions)
