Abstract
This paper describes a cooperative strategy for two wheelchairs to climb and descend a step. These two wheelchairs are connected with a simple linkage mechanism between the rear of one wheelchair and the front of another. Two wheelchairs can climb and descend a step one after the other. We perform a numerical calculation to clarify the combination of the two wheelchair’s link positions from the two fixed points which enable them to climb (or descend) a step and is stable at the same time. And we analyze the influence of the changes of the operator’s posture. We ascertain the effectiveness of this method by means of experiments using the wheelchairs system.
