Development and Analysis of Electric-Assist Wheelchair Systems

A power-assisted wheelchair is a hybrid between manual and power wheelchairs that consists of an electric-assist system that can be easily mounted on a manual wheelchair. The market for power-assisted wheelchair systems has seen growth in the past decade because of their benefits on the health and mobility of manual wheelchairs users. However, current power-assisted wheelchair systems are not fully addressing user requirements. The proposed research project involves analyzing the mechanical and subjective characteristics of currently available electric-assist systems. Testing will be performed using a dynamometer and a qualitative study will investigate human factors in the system design. This project could have impact by improving quality of life for wheelchair users by increasing mobility and reducing fatigue and injury.

Faculty Supervisor:

Carolyn Sparrey

Student:

Garrett Kryt

Partner:

Rick Hansen Institute

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Medical devices

University:

Program: