Construction of a model and simulation tests of a personal transport vehicle with obstacle negotiation option as the basis of construction of a prototype mechatronic wheelchair

Aim of project
The project covers research, modelling and simulation tests of new mechatronic solutions designed for electrically driven wheelchairs. The word "Mechatronic" is related to the fact that the wheelchair will be equipped with an integrated control system allowing to negotiate obstacles such as thresholds or stairs. It should also allow to lift the disabled person (in order to e.g. reach for high located items). The project also includes revaluation and customisation to design specificity of such notions as stability, sensitivity etc. The basic tool for research will be MBS (MultiBody System) packages, which by automatic generation of equations of motion allow to quickly prepare design alternatives. The project includes tests of proposed innovative solutions. The following mechanical quantities will be analysed: displacement, velocity, acceleration and power consumption. The model not only will consider the wheelchair itself, but also a biomechanical model of a disabled person. Therefore, the following complete system will be subject to testing: wheelchair ” disabled person ” environment. The project assumes performing partial verification of computer simulations at the Intercollegiate Laboratory of Experimental and Simulation Tests of the Transportation/ Man System ” Environment at the Faculty of Transport of Warsaw University of Technology.

Expected results
The main Expected results of the project are: Paper (monograph) on the methodology (grounds for modelling, simulation and analyses of wheelchairs with obstacle negotiation function);

Concept of a new generation mechatronic wheelchair with the above mentioned function;

Model and simulation tests of the above mentioned design;

Experimental tests of selected components of the model;

Press releases;

National seminar at the Transport Device Construction Theory Institute;

Preparation of Ph.D. theses.

Some funds for the construction of the new design have already been obtained from the National Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled People. Therefore, the research performed within the project will have practical application.