Development of a Wheelchair with a Lifting Function- Conceptual Design and the Verification Using a Scale Model and a Full-Sized Prototype -

Abstract

A wheelchair with a lifting function is designed to assist a caregiver when transferring a wheelchair user not only indoors but also outdoors. The target user is typically a severely disabled person with disabled upper and lower limbs, and therefore needs the physical support when using a toilet or transferring from a bed to a wheelchair and so forth. Both the wheelchair and the lift are driven by their respective motors. The user can approach above the toilet stool or the bed from the rear because the large driving wheels are located in front of the body and the seat can be folded. This paper presents the concept design and the experimental results of a scale model wheelchair with the lifting function, which confirms the design effectiveness. In addition, the traveling, the lifting operation and how to fold are demonstrated using a full-sized prototype.

Development of a telescopic boom lift for nursing care: design and optimization using a multibody dynamics approach

“…However, lifting and transferring the cared person requires considerable force, and in doing so, caregivers can easily damage their hips and knees (Tomioka, et al, 2008). Therefore, recently several types of nursing care equipment to aid the lifting and transfer of aged persons have been developed (Mukai, et al, 2010), (Kobayashi, et al, 2015), (Mori, et al, 2011). Especially, rotational boom-type care lifts, as shown in Fig.…”