Structural stability of mechanisms and wheelchairs

Structural stability of mechanisms and wheelchairs

posted on - 2024-05-16

Mechanisms serve a purpose of enhancing human mobility or accommodating for movement when there is a lack of it due to certain physical conditions of the patient. There are various types of mechanisms used in the automotive industry as a mobility aid. They are distinguished by the way they are powered:
1. Electric
2. Hydraulic
3. Compressed air

Each of the above has their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, comfort and noise/vibration.
Most of the limited mobility patients have sensitive conditions that require the highest comfort, least noise and vibration. As you might have observed, electric automotive seats have become ubiquitous due to the very same reason. The device that enables motion is usually some kind of motor device paired through some set of gears. Unless given current, the device won’t run and that gives it the added level of safety which a manual mechanical mechanism won’t have. This brings me to the last point- safety.

As motion actuation devices are meant to move, safety of the human being & also the care giver is paramount. Safety is enhanced using cutoff switches and emergency buttons, but what gives that extra level of safety is the use of sensors that detect where the patient is located at that moment and moves the device ever so slightly and slowly, avoiding jerks that could startle the patient.

wheelchair simple

Wheelchairs have been termed as one of the greatest innovations of the 20th century. Why? They were and still are amazingly resilient and can be used for almost multiple varieties of patient mobility issues. Even an able-bodied individual could integrate into a wheelchair for a few days to ease a simple ankle sprain if he/she wanted. But, in the core of it, they are locomotor devices. They move a patient from A to B. So they can still be ranked on the above categories of cost, comfort, noise/vibration and safety. They could also move a patient up or down, left or right, turn, tilt and even type out messages with very slight actuation. As you can see, they are amazing innovations and highly adaptable.

Our Partners

info@caruna.in whatsapp +918072336673
Copyright © 2022 CARUNA ACCESSIBILITY - All Rights Reserved.