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Assistive Ambulatory Device: The Bearchair
University of California System: University of California, Berkeley
posted on 08/04/2010
Over one in five Americans, approximately 54 million people, have some type of disability. People with disabilities are the largest minority group in our nation. Some thirty percent of our nation’s families have one or more members with a disability, and Americans over the age of 65 account for fifty percent of the total disabled population. Approximately 1.5 million Americans use a wheelchair, and only 155,000 of these users are using electric chairs. Many people with limited mobility have difficulty getting up from a conventional chair and though many inventors and engineering designers have tried to solve this issue, their solutions involve buying another device separate from the wheelchair. To address this challenge, investigators at the University of California at Berkeley specifically designed a system that allows the seat of the wheelchair to tilt forward and upward, putting the person in a nearly standing position for an easier transition from sitting to standing. The front of the seat will hinge while the back is raised by two hydraulic pistons. The pistons will be mounted to crossbars of the frame directly below the back of the seat. The pistons will be powered by a small electric motor mounted to the bottom of the rear of the seat. A button to initiate the raising of the pistons, as well a hydraulic slow-release button will be placed on the right arm rest of the chair. A small battery to power the electronics will be place directly next to the motor for convenience. This system not only makes life more comfortable, but also makes the person with limited mobility more independent when transitioning from their wheelchair. This self- help prototype assists the person in their daily living activities by allowing them easy access out of their personal transportation device.
Suggested Uses
- wheelchair with independent transitioning
- easy access out of personal transportation device
Advantages
- wheelchair seat tilts forward
- improves sitting-standing transition
- puts person in a nearly standing position
File Number: 20034
Disease: Central Nervous System
| Copyright: | ©2010, The Regents of the University of California |
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This innovation currently is not available for online licensing. Please contact Kathleen McCowin at University of California System: University of California, Berkeley for more information.
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