Abstract

The purpose of this project was to create a device to allow children with severe handicaps to learn how to use a powered wheelchair. Lincoln Developmental Center is a school for children with handicaps that contracted the School of Engineering to build this device. These children can benefit from a powered wheelchair, but require additional practice to learn how to use one. This device is essentially a moving platform. The user’s wheelchair is rolled onto it and secured. The user has control over the platform with a similar joystick to a powered wheelchair’s control.The scope of this project included two primary stages, design and manufacture. The design stage produced 3 main designs. Design 2 was a result of an effort to make the device’s manufacture more feasible. Design 3 resulted from input from Lincoln Developmental Center. This experiment resulted with a working device that is able to simulate a powered wheelchair.