• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.1109-1116
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• 2014

The wheelchair mechanism for a car that is proposed in this study primarily consists of a transfer mechanism and storage mechanism. The wheelchair transfer mechanism consists of a manipulator installed in the roof of a car, and performs the function of transferring the wheelchair from the driver's seat to the trunk. The wheelchair storage mechanism consists of a lifting hoist installed in the trunk of car, and performs the function of storing the transferred wheelchair in the trunk and safely fastening it in place. This study analyzed and reviewed various manipulators, including a vertical type, Scara type, and telescopic type, with the goal of selecting the best type of manipulator for the wheelchair transfer mechanism. The telescopic type was selected and applied because of its good load support and storage capabilities. In addition, with regard to the wheelchair storage mechanism, a slide hoist type that used a slide rail and lift wire and a rotating link hoist type that used a rotating mechanism consisting of a worm gear and link were analyzed and reviewed. The slide hoist type was selected and applied because it had an advantage in relation to trunk space utilization. This study proposed a wheelchair transfer mechanism for a car to support a conventional wheelchair user's movements, and in order to conform to the structure of a domestic welfare car for the disabled.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2014

A wheelchair is a typical mobility aid for the physically disabled or the old and the weak, and is the most commonly used rehabilitation aid. In general, most of users of manual wheelchair have difficulty though vocational rehabilitation and independent living is possible. The reason is that long-distance movement is always accompanied with wheelchair transfer problem because a wheelchair is used as direct means of transport. Hence, the wheelchair transfer problem should be first solved in order that a wheelchair user can independently live. Therefore, this study examined and analyzed the domestic and overseas launched products and patented technologies of wheelchair transfer system for vehicle, and proposed a wheelchair transfer mechanism of a new system for vehicle. This study proposed a wheelchair transfer mechanism for vehicle in order to remove the disadvantage of wheelchair transfer system for vehicle to support the conventional wheelchair user's movement, and in order to conform with the structure of domestic welfare vehicle for the disabled. Because a difference between storage space installed in the roof of vehicle and storage space for leisure, which is generally utilized, gets to disappear by applying this proposed mechanism, popularity among users can be increased. And storage space that has become smaller like this will be capable of decreasing the disadvantage of air resistance in traveling. Besides, because of getting to conform with the structure of welfare vehicle, restrictions on the application range will disappear from small sedan to SUV. Therefore, users can have more choices.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.1067-1076
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• 2016

This paper describes the development of a hybrid-powered wheelchair (HPW) for the elderly. The proposed HPW has novel mechanical and control features compared with conventional powered wheelchairs. An ergonomic back-braking mechanism was designed in order to stop the wheels easily. In terms of control features, the HPW remarkably reduces the muscle power required by combining various assistive functions, such as wheel torque assistance, friction/inertia compensation, gravity compensation, and the one-hand driving algorithm. For wheel torque assistance, strain gauges were attached to the hand-rim in order to measure the wheel torque applied by a human. Gyroscopes and an accelerometer were attached to the wheel and chair respectively for friction and inertia compensation. An inclinometer was attached for gravity compensation and the one-hand driving algorithm was included for patients who can only use one hand. The one-hand driving algorithm controls the angular velocity of the uncontrolled wheel by using a gyroscope and pressure sensors attached to the bottom of the seat. Finally, the performance of the proposed motion assisted algorithm was verified through various experiments.