I-Corps: Designing an Adaptive, Modular Framework for Wheelchair Users

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a modular framework to assist people using wheelchairs in completion of daily activities such as accessing electronic devices, typing, and opening doors to buildings. The primary end users are students, teachers, entrepreneurs, athletes, children, parents, and others in wheelchairs who need additional tools to support their unique lifestyles.

The wheelchair market is expected to reach $7.5 billion by 2024. This growth is predicted due to factors such as the rising population over age 65 and prevalence of progressive diseases. The primary customer segment for the device includes the 3 million manual and motorized wheelchair users and may be further separated based on location and extent of physical limitations.

Another customer segment that will benefit from the device is caregivers. The total number of caregivers in the U.S. in 2015 was 39.8 million for adults 18 and older with adaptive needs. In 2016, 20% of family caregiver earnings were spent on assistive care.

Adopters with a personalized wheelchair assistant will have additional autonomy which, in turn, will alleviate part of the financial burden on caregivers currently unable to maintain full-time jobs.

This I-Corps project is based on the development of an adaptive device for assisting people with disabilities in completion of fundamental daily living activities above the waist so that they are able to independently engage in employment, academic, and home environments. The project will result in an all-in-one wheelchair assistant with customizable “arm” modules for providing independence and control.

Inspired by analogous natural and man-made assemblies a “carapace-like” shape will allow people to have multiple, opposable extensions that may be maneuvered manually or through the use of robotics. The innovation of the device is demonstrated through the way in which the assistive modules are combined and implemented to ensure independence for the specific user.

The research to date has implemented knowledge gained during preliminary interviews of regionally located wheelchair users, caregivers, and specialists. In addition, the specific needs of wheelchair users in a university setting, including the need for unique ergonomic typing positions, have been investigated. The current prototype for this adaptive component has been shown to improve typing speeds by 30 words per minute.

The proposed additional modules may result in similar measurable improvements in the completion of daily living activities.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.