Design and Analysis of Omni-Wheel based Intelligent Wheelchair

Abstract

Semi-paralyzed patients or patients with severely hampered motor skills find it difficult to operate wheelchairs and also move from the wheelchair to beds for resting. Motorized wheelchairs aid patients but restrict them to maneuver easily in tight spaces or go on uneven terrains. The main reason is when using 4 wheels it becomes difficult to maneuver the wheelchair in tight spaces be it a motorized wheelchair or manual wheelchair. By integrating the concept of Omni-Wheels and a stretcher converting capability we have designed a multipurpose wheelchair that has better maneuverability in close, tight spaces and also the feature to help patients switch the chair into a stretcher. We have fabricated a 1/4th scale prototype of the actual wheelchair design, assembled parts such as 3 motors,3 Omni-wheels, Arduino Uno, L298N motor controllers, breadboard, a 12v battery pack, and IR sensors for obstacle detection with the feature to recline fully and convert the wheelchair into a stretcher. The prototype does differ from the initial full-scaled design, in that it does not feature pneumatic actuators for the converting capability the wheelchair is designed in a cost-effective way which also ensures flexibility and mobility for the user with an extra feature.