Xinqian (Vivian) Xiang
Mechanical Engineer/ Product Designer
Bicycle Wheelchair
Bicycle Wheelchair is a rehabilitation design project of my course Rehabilitation Design and Engineering. It is redesigning a low-price wheelchair for an eight-year-old girl with cerebral palsy with low cost.
I contributed to the mechanical design of the bicycle wheelchair, as well as prototyping it and testing it.
User Needs Analysis
• Eight year old girl with athetoid cerebral palsy
• Presents jerky, involuntary, uncoordinated movements
• Can perform tasks when well positioned (angle forward 20 degrees)
• Difficulty maintaining posture and balance
• Good cognitive skills
• Issues with bilateral coordination and fine motor skills
• Attends daily and classroomactivities.
• Not able to carry out common activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Uses is a low cost LT-980 Karman Ultra Light Weight wheelchair
• Receives Occupational Therapy Services at a local foundation
• A low cost LT-980 Karman Ultra Light Weight wheelchair
• Provide posture support and a workarea.
• Enable legs propel
• Human
• Activity
• Context
• Assistive
Technology
• Interface
Design Opportunities
Current Device
• Donated by local foundation
• Current features:
• Fixed armrest
• Detachable footrest
• Adjustable push to lock wheel brakes
• Push rims
• Seat height adjustable
• Functional Limitations:
• Lacks posture support
• Without adjustable trunk positioning
• No work area
• An option for leg propulsion
LT-980 Karman Ultra Light Weight Wheelchair
CAD Design
Prorotype
Click Here to see how it works
Feasibility and Utility
Redesigned wheelchair features are added on low-cost wheelchair which could be more affordable and economical. It is not only a mechanical assistive device but a rehabilitative extension for practice motor skills and interaction with others. In addition, It allowed patient to better perform common activities of daily living.
The market for such a product is much smaller than the wheelchair market for the people who can manage foot propulsion. That means the feet-propulsion design can address populations that has difficulty walking such as the elderly, one leg and one prosthetic leg to enable pedal use, and those who do not have enough body control to walk normally but can still operate a pedal system like our patient. Essentially, the bicycle wheelchair is variable means of providing a foot propelled wheelchair, posture and trunk support, and the option for a workspace if one is required.