The Process to make a Wheelchair's Fixed Frame Collapsible

Handicapped people in developing countries struggle to progress in their lives because they do not have the freedom of mobility. To relieve these people of their distress, Free Wheelchair Mission globally distributes free wheelchairs to those who would not be able to afford one. Working with this non-profit organization, our research is involved with their current Gen_2 wheelchair. One limitation in the Gen_2 wheelchair is its fixed frame, making it too wide to fit through smaller doorways in developing countries, where buildings elements may not be standardized. Therefore, this project is primarily focused on modifying an inflexible wheelchair into a collapsible structure, allowing it to pass through nonstandard doorways and facilitate transport in cars or buses. The new wheelchair model must have the capability to be single-handedly opened and closed with ease, and owners should be able to do so in a short amount of time. Although the primary goal is to create a collapsible chair, it is also necessary to maintain an affordable manufacturing cost.

In order to fold the wheelchair, our team followed the basic methods seen in conventional wheelchairs and created four designs of our own. While the present Gen_2 wheelchair successfully passed mandatory testing, the new designs require the same testing standards. We simplified and simulated tests, similar to International Organization for Standardization examinations, to calculate safety and durability for all four designs. The results of our testing as well as our final design will be presented.