Accessibility and Universal Design
Improvement and motorization of a wheelchair
Supervisors:
Eva Marin Tordera
JuanJose Vazquez
EPS 2013 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
Project group members
 Charlotte Berthomieu, France
Packaging Engineering
 Maurits Binnema, The Netherlands
Human Technology
 Adina Marin, Romania
Economic Engineering in the Mechanical Field
 Jan Stepputtis, Germany
Business Informatics
 Ludwig Siegfrids, Finland
Industrial Engineering and Management
2
Table of Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
3
Project tasks
Project progress
Background
Seat fixture
Handles
Steering system
Final product
Conclusion
Project Task
 Improve the life of our client
 Provide higher autonomy
 Combine two wheelchairs
4
Project Progress
Usability
testing
Construction
Design
Requirements
analysis
5
Background: Client
 Nahuel; 13 years old
 Dystonic, Spastic Tetra
Paresis
 In buggy wheelchair,
strapped
 Muscle excercises with
physiotherapist
6
Introduction movie client
7
Background: Clients Abilities
Cognitive
8
Physical
Learning by
time
No control
body & facial
movements
Acknowledge
differences
No speech
Reacts to
emotions
Little/No
strength
Buggy Wheelchair
‘EASys’ from Thomashilfen
 Seating construction is used
 Ergonomic benefit
9
Electric Wheelchair
‘Power Picco’ from Meyra
 Bottom part is used
 Stability benefit
10
Requirements
Company
• Realistic Product; Meets standards
• Indoor usage
Client
• Fits user’s capabilities
• Contributes to social and physiological al benefits
Supervisor
• Documentation
• Effective teamwork
• Low budget
11
Project Overview
Universal
Seating
Adjustment
Handles
Steering System
12
Why a new Seat Fixture System?
Problem
• Combine chassis of electric
wheelchair and seat
• Keep each advantages
How to solve it?
• Designing different solutions for
fixing the seat
• Evaluating the convenience
13
Design: Universal Seat Fixture
Universal
Stable
Secure
14
Project Overview
Universal
Seating
Adjustment
Handles
Steering System
15
Why adjust the Handles?
Problem
• The seat covers the fixing
place
• Handles are too short for the
pusher
How to solve it?
• Designing a new solution
• Enlargement and addition of a
steel block to move the fixing
place
16
Design: Handles
17
Project Overview
Universal
Seating
Adjustment
Handles
Steering System
18
Why a new Steering System?
Problem
• Actual solution not accessible
• Not enough grip in hands
How to solve it?
• Research on steering systems
• Comparing steering
approaches
• Evaluation of convenience for
the client
19
Which Steering Systems are on the
market?
20
Joystick
Chin
Sip-n-Puff
Head
Voice
Tongue
Eye Gaze
Brain
Which System meets the requirements
of the client?
21
Which Steering System is the most
convenient?
Steering Systems
10
8
6
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6
22
Chin
Head
Brain
Eye-Gaze
Sip-n-Puff
Joystick
Voice
Tongue
Why Chin Control?
+
Safe system
Less
technical
barriers
Short
development time
Intuitive
steering
23
-
Less space
for head
movements
Not integrated in
communication
system
Design: Steering System
Accessible
Adjustable
Economical
Convenient
24
From Joystick to Chin Control
25
Final product
26
Usability & user interaction
27
Usability for the client
+
Quick
understanding
Easy to
learn
28
Easy
interaction
with the
others
Still needs
help to
steer
Improve his
new
capabilities
Wheelchair carriage
+
Steering
System can
be
unmounted
Easy
transport
of the
buggy
29
Does not
fold
Heavy
Costs
Estimated Project Costs
300 €
Costs in €
250 €
200 €
150 €
100 €
50 €
0€
Seating system
Materials
Human labour
30
13 €
35 €
Pushing
handles
6€
65 €
Steering
System
28 €
120 €
Total
47 €
220 €
Conclusion
Challenging
Project
Develop a
psychological
benefit
Opportunity
to have
autonomy
Nahuel will feel
happier about the
interaction with
others
31
Future work
Last adjustments
of the steering
system
32
Implementation
of a safety
system
Thank you for your attention!