手動車いすの小型走行ユニットの基礎的研究

抄録

Today, aging of population is one of the serious problems of Japanese society. Additionally, the number of senior citizens certified as requiring long-term care is also increasing. Therefore, the number of elderly people who use wheelchairs is predicted to increase. By attaching drive units to a manual wheelchair as needed, the burden on the user and caregiver may be reduced. In this study, compact drive units for a manual wheelchair were produced. The units are designed to be simply attached and removed without disassembling the manual wheelchair. The size and weight of the unit are reduced by dividing them into left and right. The units are attached near the left and right rear wheels of the wheelchair to turn in tight spaces. In this study, it is confirmed that the units are able to attach to a manual wheelchair without disassembly. In addition, it is ascertained that wheelchair with the units are capable of running straight and turning by using the joystick.