Abstract
Manually operated wheelchairs play a very crucial role in the life of physically disabled people. Movement over a good distance on manual wheelchairs is burdensome. Electric wheelchairs are recommended for people who experience problems in utilizing a manual wheelchair due to impairing physical conditions. Electric wheelchairs are suitable for indoor use, open-air use, or even both. However, commercially available electric wheelchairs are very costly and cannot be afforded by majority of people in economically developing countries. Therefore, a need was felt to envisage a rudimentary low-cost detachable power unit for a commercially available manual wheelchair. Computer-aided design was used to achieve suitable design visualizations. Methods for fabricating the power unit involved attaching a frame to a wheel and a steering handle. Batteries were taken as the source of power for the speed-controlled hub motor connected to the wheel. The low-cost detachable power unit can be attached and detached to the commercially available basic manual wheelchair. However, in order to keep the cost low, the design was kept simple and locally available materials were selected without compromising on safety, functionality, and operational features of the wheelchair. It was evident that the designed and fabricated cost effective detachable power unit can be afforded by most of the people in developing countries like India. There is ample scope for further improvement in the design based on engineering analysis and incorporating human-centered ergonomics design concepts without increasing the overall cost of the detachable power unit.
This project is a modification and phase 2 of an existing previous project(Electric Beach wheelchair) done by PMU students. The objective of this project is to modify the Electric Beach wheelchair to run on solar energy and add a rotational functionality to the seat, to make it more versatile for a handicap rider. At this phase,our main focus has been on the source energy (Solar), for which solar panels where,utilized and improved batteries life. Moreover, efficiency will be improved and reserves storage unit might be added as extra precautions.
On the journey to mobility and freedom, motorized scooters and wheel chairs are the tools to finish that journey. The addition of some devices enables persons with physical disabilities a comfortable travel beyond their own homes. In the past, many people disliked the idea of a mobility scooter because of low-life of the battery.People started to purchase a mobility scooter in order to lead a more comfortable and in dependent existence. Considering a primary method to get around, they are perfect for people with limited or nobody mobility.Electric powered wheel chair is essentially powered by electric motors located at the rear ofthe wheelchair.
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
1.1 Project Definition
Design of a solar powered electric beach wheelchair. The solar energy would be harvested through a solar panel, and this process is controlled by an electric controller to channel the energy to the battery then shut the flow off once battery is full. This clean energy is abundant and reliable. Also, the seat on the wheel chair is capable of rotating 900 to the right and left, using a DC motor and a gear box channeling the rotary power to theseat.
1.2 Project Objectives
- Utilization of clean energy source reduces pollution and saveen ergy wasted.
- Offer reliable and abundant tenergy source to charge the wheel chair almost any where exposed to sunlight.
- Easeaccesstothe seat with the rotation function.
- Wheel chair should meets the user’s needs and environmental conditions;
- Provide sproperfit and postural support.(ergonomic design and functionality)
- Boathouse,versatile, and durable.
- Should support an average full size adult.
- Reduce the weight of the chair and improve the maneuverability (Have area so nable turning radius).
- Improve the energy reserve capacity.
