One Hand Drive Wheelchair with New Manipulation Mechanism and Assist Functions

A one-hand drive wheelchair with power assist mechanism is developed. We propose a manipulation mechanism with a triple ring and three assist functions, which are power assist function, the maximum velocity limiting function on the downward slope, the reverse prevention function on the upward slope. These functions reduce the physical load of user and improve the safety of the wheelchair. The effectiveness of manipulation mechanism and assist functions is verified through experiments using a prototype, developed in our research group