Improving wheelchair safety

Mitacs-Accelerate connects SFU Masters student with Mobisafe Systems to help develop an airbag safety system for wheelchairs

Airbags have been widely used to prevent injuries in automobile accidents for many years and Vancouver-based Mobisafe Systems Inc. has been examining ways to make wheelchairs safer using similar technology.

They approached the School of Engineering Science at Simon Fraser University, seeking academic research expertise on how to develop an “airbag” safety system for wheelchairs using a foam cushion.

Through a Mitacs-Accelerate internship, Masters of Applied Science student Hossein Dehghani took on the challenge of developing a foam-based cushioning airbag for wheelchair use.  The system uses an accelerometer and gyroscope sensors which are integrated with a programmable micro controller to detect when the wheelchair is tipping over, and then deploys a cushioning foam mat around the wheelchair to prevent the user from hitting the ground.

“The big problem with a traditional system in a car is that the mechanism uses compressed air to rapidly inflate the airbag, and it is only for one-time use.  After it has been deployed, it has to be replaced by a mechanic, and that becomes very expensive,” Hossein explained.

“My research focused on developing the optimum size and shape for a foam airbag cushion that can be used many times over.  The foam airbag is packed underneath the wheelchair and when it deploys, it absorbs air from the atmosphere and expands rapidly.  It takes less than one second to deploy, providing a soft cushion for protection during a fall.  The foam can be folded up again in as little as one minute for reuse.”

A custom-made head form and slow motion cameras were used to help determine the best size, pattern and deployment of the foam airbag to maximize its effectiveness.  Mobisafe Systems Inc. is now planning to commercialize the airbag system, in the hope it will make wheelchairs safer, prevent injuries and reduce health care costs.

Hossein praises his Mitacs-Accelerate internship for providing invaluable industry experience as he now embarks on a PhD in mechatronics: “With an industry connection, your approach to research is completely different compared to if it was being done in an academic setting.  It helped me see the project from an industry point of view, with a focus on the end user and commercialization.”

Director of Business Development at MobiSafe Systems, Ali AbdulHussein, said the Mitacs-Accelerate program helped make the wheelchair airbag system a reality.

“Mitacs-Accelerate helped us find a skilled university graduate who had the expertise we needed, while the co-funding eased the financial burden of the research.”

Mitacs thanks the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia for their support of the Accelerate research internship in this story. Across Canada, the Accelerate program also receives support from Alberta Innovates,, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Prince Edward Island, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan and Research Manitoba.

Do you have a business challenge that could benefit from a research solution? If so, contact Mitacs today to discuss partnership opportunities: BD@mitacs.ca

Mitacs Team

Mitacs’s website content is created by people throughout our organization, united in their passion for innovation and eager to share their perspectives with others in the innovation ecosystem. 

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