Running Head: MAJOR PROJECT: PORTRABLE WHEELCHAIR

Major Project: Portable Wheelchair

December 4, 2015

Designing a Standing Wheelchair

Team 10: Christopher Wood, Harold Maduriera,

Innjae Namgung, and Mateus Castellar

Professor: Dr. Shahhosseini

AETM Department

MET 404

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana 47809

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Summary

This project was designed in order to have the students learn about the engineering design

process and to demonstrate that we can use all of the proper steps in the creation of a new design.

For this project, topics were drawn out of a hat, and we drew the topic of “Portable Wheelchair”.

We were expected to start from the ground up and design a portable wheelchair that was new or

different in some way. This wheelchair was expected to be designed according to certain criteria

and while following certain steps, according to the rubric. We started having meetings in the

library each week and, after much collaboration, decided to pursue the concept of a portable

standing wheel chair. We wanted the chair to be 100% mechanical, in order to keep down the

weight and cost. We also wanted the chair to be able to move in the standing position. Currently

all 100% mechanical wheelchairs cannot move while in the standing position.

Once we understood what we wanted to do, we each took a different section of the paper

and began writing. At the end of the design process, all group members came away with new

knowledge about wheelchairs, and a new appreciation about how hard it is to properly design a

new product. We also came away with a new understanding of the struggle of people in

wheelchairs and how engineers can help to further their cause and improve people’s lives. In

conclusion, we all have a better understanding of the engineering design process. We feel

confident that we could properly use these steps for other engineering projects.
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Introduction

For this project, we engineered a 100% mechanical wheelchair that allows the user to

adjust the chair into a standing position and then safely move around in that standing position.

We were required to use proper criteria trees, Gantt charts, critical path analysis, drawings, and

many other engineering design methods to properly complete the project. We did not have access

to the materials or funding necessary to make a full size working model of the wheelchair. For

this project, the wheelchair was designed in theory, and would require further stress testing,

analysis, and the machining of a prototype before we could make a full size working model. The

members of this project are all undergraduate students, working with a limited scope and

understanding pertaining to wheel chairs and the application of the full engineering design

process. The goal of this project is to increase our familiarity with proper engineering design and

to ensure that we understand the process.

Literature Review

The first stand up wheel chair was invented by a Swedish company named LEVO (then

Valutec) in 1975. The need for a wheel chair where a disabled person can have normal reach,

conversations, and the ability to stand up was finally realized. The first standing wheel chair was

a fully manual chair that did not move when standing. That first chair, the model F7, was offered

for sale in Switzerland in 1976. Since then, many different manufactures offer a stand up wheel

chair worldwide. Chairs are offered in manual, half power, and full power versions depending on

need and level of disability. All of these however have a limitation. Every chair of this type on

the market until 2003 could stand up, but could not move once stood up. Veterans Affairs,
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supported by Paralyzed Veterans of America, made a prototype of a stand up wheel chair that

would move when standing in 2003. Since then, for both liability and design reasons, very few

have been made. Some companies like Karman have prototype full auto chairs that are mobile

while standing, like the XO-303 model, however they do not list whether they will sell them or

not. Currently the top of the line manual and automatic standing wheel chairs are both made by

LEVO. The manual version, the LEVO Summit EL, does not move in the standing position. Our

goal was to provide a manual and portable, safe, standing wheel chair that is mobile in both the

seated and standing positions.

Project Planning / Critical Path

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Critical Path

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Operation / Function / Manufacturing Methods

Criteria Tree
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As shown in the criteria tree, the wheelchair needs to comply with some criteria. Below,

the criteria will be evaluated, our alternatives are listed, and we selected the best one using scores

based on the weighted criteria.

Our alternatives consists in a basic wheelchair, but it has an elevating mechanism which

allow the user stand up to give a lecture, presentation, or just stand up to talk with other person at

the same height. We feel that it helps to increase confidence of the user and reduces neck fatigue.

It is important to notice that, the user still needs to use hands to move the wheels, and our

evaluation solely considers the elevation mechanism.

To make the system work and elevate the user, our alternatives are as follows:

Pros Cons
Mechanical Simple and light because do not Requires the user use his/her own

require any motors or batteries arms to elevate them

Hydraulic Allows the user to elevate smoothly, Complex and heavy, require oil

just pressing a button. reservoir, oil pump, electric motors,

hydraulic pistons and batteries

Electric Allows the user to elevate, just Complex and heavy, electric motors,

pressing a button. gears and batteries.

The first branch of the criteria tree is structure, inside this branch there is three criteria

that are: Lightweight, portability and size. Let’s begin analyzing by the first criteria, structure.

Structure / Weight:
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The table below evaluates different designs and the impact of each design in the structure,

considering that the best option is the one which offers the lowest weight.

Mechanical Low complexity, does not need a heavy and complex structure to work.
Hydraulic High complexity, needs a complex and heavy structure to be used, due to the

subsystems to make the hydraulics work.

Electric Medium complexity, needs a structure where all the electronics and batteries

can be assembled.

By analyzing the table above, the mechanical design seems the best one, considering that we are

just looking for something lightweight. The same way, we went over all the criteria to identify

the best option.

Portability

The table below evaluates the different designs and the impact of them in the structure design,

considering that the best option is the one which offers the best portability.

Mechanical High portability, does not need a heavy and complex structure to work.
Hydraulic Low portability, needs a complex and heavy structure to be used, due to the

subsystems to make the hydraulics work.

Electric Medium portability, needs a structure where all the electronics and batteries can

be assembled.
The mechanical design offers the best portability.

Size
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The table below evaluate the different designs and the impact of them in the structure

design, considering that the best option is the one which offers the small size as possible for an

adult.

Mechanical Small size, do not need a complex design, and does not have too many parts.
Hydraulic Big size, needs too many parts.
Electric Medium size, needs less parts them the hydraulic design but still a way more

them the mechanical.

So, considering the structure, the mechanical design is undoubtedly the best in all the criteria.

Operation safety

Mechanical Low safety, the user may do something wrong and hurt himself, fall or hurt his

fingers in the lever mechanism.

Hydraulic Medium safety, safe but the high pressure system may leak and cause an

accident.
Electric High safety, less likely to have an accident, but since it is electric, the user

needs to have special attention to some unsafe occasions.

All of them are safe, but the safest is the electric.

**Continued on next page**

Impact resistance:

Mechanical High impact resistance, since it is pure mechanical it is less likely to stop

working after an impact.

Hydraulic Low impact resistance, the system is heavy and complex, so it is more likely to

stop working after an impact.

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Electric Medium impact resistance, it has some moving parts and fragile electronic parts

which might stop working after an impact.

Due its simplicity, the mechanical system is more reliable and resistant.

Holding system

All the designs will use a belt to hold the user in place, so there is no difference.

Stability

Mechanical Less Stability, depends on the users arms to elevate and is not so heavy, the

center of gravity tends to be higher due to most of weight being higher than the

wheels.
Hydraulic High Stability, smoothest operation and a lowest center of gravity.
Electric Medium Stability, smooth operation and a low center of gravity

Considering stability, the best options is the Hydraulic wheelchair. Mainly because its weight is
concentrated in the bottom of the wheelchair.

**Continued on next page**

Power / Energy consumption

Mechanical No energy consumption, the user’s arms provide all the necessary power.
Hydraulic Highest energy consumption, it needs batteries to power the oil pumps.
Electric High energy consumption, it needs batteries to power the motors.
Speed

Mechanical Medium Speed, It is variable because it depends on the user’s arms.

Hydraulic Fast, the hydraulic pistons are fast and smooth.
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Electric Low speed, to have enough power, the motor will use a high gear ratio, and it

makes the elevating process slower.

Cost / Affordability

Mechanical Low cost, simple construction low tech and less materials
Hydraulic High cost, the hydraulic pistons, pumps and batteries are expensive.
Electric Medium cost, the motor and batteries are expensive.

Low maintenance cost

Mechanical Low maintenance cost, It is not so different of an ordinary wheelchair, and the

maintenance is simple.
Hydraulic High maintenance cost, the user needs to change oil regularly
Electric Medium maintenance cost. It is reliable but someday the user will need to

change the batteries.

Operating system / Capability of elevate the user

Mechanical Capable - Variable speed, depends on the strength of the user.

Hydraulic Capable - Fast, It is fast but requires a lot of energy.
Electric Capable - Slow, the motors require a lot of energy and a high gear ratio to work.

Mechanical Hydraulic Electric

relativ value value value
e on std weighte on std weighte on std weighte
Criteria weight scale d value scale d value scale d value
Lightweight 0.08 9 0.72 3 0.24 5 0.4
Portable 0.08 8 0.64 2 0.16 4 0.32
Size 0.04 8.5 0.34 3 0.12 5 0.2
Operation Safety 0.06 3 0.18 6 0.36 7.5 0.45
Impact resistance 0.04 8 0.32 4 0.16 6 0.24
Holding system 0.04 10 0.4 10 0.4 10 0.4
Stability 0.06 5 0.3 10 0.6 7.5 0.45
Low Energy
0.12 10 1.2 1 0.12 4 0.48
consumption
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Elevation Speed 0.08 8 0.64 6 0.48 3.5 0.28

Affordability 0.14 8 1.12 2 0.28 4 0.56
Low Maintenance cost 0.06 8 0.48 3 0.18 5 0.3
Capability to elevate the
0.2 7 1.4 9 1.8 3 0.6
user
TOTAL 1 7.74 4.9 4.68

The best alternative

After evaluating the alternatives the mechanical design was chosen, it offers the best in almost all
the criteria analyzed.

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User Base

Commonly a wheelchair is defined as a movable chair with wheels for use as transport

for people who are not able to walk themselves due to injury or disability. People in wheelchairs

are usually confined to the sitting position at all times. Due to the constant sitting in wheelchairs,

the people always have some certain troubles in their lives. For example, it is hard for them to

reach something on a higher cabinet, to change light bulb, or to interact while in a group of

standing people. There are already many types of standing wheelchair in the world, but they still

have an unsolved problem, which is that the 100% mechanical wheelchairs cannot move while in

the standing position. Our standing wheelchair is the very first one which can move back and

forth even during standing position.

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The average user of our product can be expected to be handicapped and not able to walk.

As long as their arms are in good physical shape, and they can roll the round handles, the user

would have the ability to move around in a standing position like non-handicapped people.

According to The United States Census Bureau, there are 3.3 million people, ages 15 and

older, who use a wheelchair in the US. Nearly all of the 3.3 million people are the target of our

product. Our standing wheelchair has specific consumers who desire new product that is never

existed before. Therefore, the market projection for this design is very strong.

Cost Estimation

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BILL OF MATERIALS

Part Name # Cost Total Cost

Back Rest Bar 2 20.00 40.00

Bottom Support Bar 2 20.00 40.00
Leg Support Bar 2 20.00 40.00
Foot Support 2 30.00 60.00
Driving Wheel 2 30.00 60.00
Front Support Wheel 2 15.00 30.00
Backrest 1 50.00 50.00
Seat 1 65.00 65.00
X-belt to chest 1 15.00 15.00
Velcro band to legs 4 10.00 40.00
Steering Wheel 2 40.00 80.00
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Steering Wheel Support Bar 4 20.00 80.00

Gear 4 35.00 140.00
Gear Chain 2 20.00 40.00
Rear Handles 2 25.00 50.00
Arm Rest Support 2 20.00 40.00
Arm Rest to axis 2 20.00 40.00
Axis 2 35.00 70.00
Joint Pins 4 5.00 20.00
TOTAL COST ESTIMATE: $1000/unit

TOTAL RETAIL PRICE: $1200/unit (allows for 20% markup for profit)

Recommendations

In moving forward, after creating a fully mechanical design, our group felt as though we

could improve upon a few aspects of our design. We have listed these below in the form of

recommendations.

1.) Work to make chair more ergonomic

a. As we learn from our consumers, we can make the chair more comfortable

b. Experiment with different pad and seating materials

2.) Develop carbon frame to eliminate aluminum

a. Appeals to handicapped sports market

b. Much lighter weight

c. Stronger, leading to greater weight capacity

3.) Develop a multi-geared version

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a. Integrate a derailleur and cassette system to allow the user to choose the speed at

which the wheelchair can go, like a multi-speed bike

b. Allows for fine controls when standing, but the ability to cover great distances

when seated

c. Allows for a new level of flexibility for handicapped users

Conclusion

In conclusion, we realize that the market needs a mechanical wheelchair that can move

while standing. We have also come to realize that designing a wheelchair is very hard, due to

numerous ISO regulations and design constraints. However, we see that there are unfulfilled

needs in the handicapped transportation market. We also see that a design engineer can

completely revolutionize a market, simply by recognizing a need. During this project, we had the

opportunity to work in an excellent team, while seeing that even students have the ability to

make positive change on the world. We hope to take what we learned in this project and apply

our new engineering design knowledge to our future careers.

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**Continued on next page**

References

Karmanhealthcarecom. (2015). Karman Healthcare. Retrieved 22 November, 2015, from

http://www.karmanhealthcare.com/product/prototype/power-wheelchair-xo-303-electric-

power-wheelchair/

Levo, 5610 wohlen. (2015). Levoch. Retrieved 22 November, 2015, from http://www.levo.ch/en/

about-levo/history.html

Profile America Facts for Features. (2010, May 26). Retrieved November 20, 2015, from

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editi

ons/cb10-ff13.html

Pvaorg. (2015). Pvaorg. Retrieved 22 November, 2015, from http://www.pva.org/site/apps/nlnet

/content2.aspx?c=ajIRK9NJLcJ2E
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Appendix / Additional Sketches

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Inspiration for original concept

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Isometric View of Final Sketch – 3D Using Solidworks