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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Design and development of a robotic self-transfer device for wheelchair users | | Author(s) | R Hari Krishnan, S Pugazhenthi |
| Journal title | Journal of Enabling Technologies, vol 11, no 2, 2017 |
| Publisher | Emerald, 2017 |
| Pages | pp 59-72 |
| Source | www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/jet |
| Keywords | Physical disabilities ; Assistive technology ; Wheelchairs ; Mobility ; Toilet aids ; Evaluation. |
| Annotation | Wheelchair users face great difficulty in transferring themselves from one surface to another, for example from wheelchair to a toilet commode. In such cases a caregiver's assistance may be required, but it affects one's dignity. The purpose of this paper was to develop a robotic self-transfer device aimed at offering privacy and independence to people with lower limb disabilities in performing daily activities. The device, attached to a powered wheelchair, was useful in transferring a user from a wheelchair to a toilet commode or any other surface following simple and natural transfer procedure without the need of any caregiver. The user could achieve transfer by operating joysticks. The device employed two linear actuators and a motor to accomplish the transfer. Trials were carried out to test the performance of the device by involving potential beneficiaries. The device could successfully transfer the participants from a wheelchair to a chair with less effort in less than a minute. The results of the trials showed that the participants felt comfortable in using the device. It was also found that the device was superior to other existing transfer systems in terms of comfort and operation. The existing self-transfer systems are alternative solutions that serve the purpose of mobility coupled with self-transfer. Instead of developing an alternative mobility solution, this paper proposes a novel design of a self-transfer device that can be used as an attachment to a wheelchair. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-170630211 A |
| Classmark | BN: M: MFA: C4: MS: 4C |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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