Innovative technology design approaches to improve wheeled mobility

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Wheelchair use has consequences to quality of life in at least two areas: 1) health issues such as pressure sores and chronic overuse injury; and 2) access problems due to the inaccessible nature of the built and natural environments that are most amenable to upright postures. Even with these concerns, wheelchairs are still the best form of mobility for many people (e.g. they are relatively easy to transfer into and propel). However, wheelchairs are simply not transformative, i.e. they do not allow a person with a disability to attain a level of mobility performance that approaches that of their non-disabled peers, nor do they typically allow for face to face interactions and full participation in the community. This Rehabilitation Engineering research program addresses the inadequacy of existing wheelchairs with a re-invention of mobility aids by merging two evolving technologies into a coherent new mobility device. The first is Dynamic Wheeled Mobility, which adds significant functionality to conventional wheelchairs through the use of on-the-fly adjustable positioning. The second is Powered Walking Exoskeletons, which enable highly desired standing and walking functions, as well as therapeutic benefits associated with rehabilitation gait training. Unfortunately, exoskeletons have significant usability concerns such as slow speed, limited range, potential skin issues, and difficult transfers - all issues addressable in my objective of docking a detachable exoskeleton to a wheeled frame. A series of engineering research projects will iteratively develop this concept by tackling topics such as: exoskeleton actuation methods to accommodate built-in integrated seating, narrow width, and access for promoting transfers and other wheelchair functions; and design of docking and releasable attachment mechanisms to a unique wheeled frame with adequate rigidity for wheeling and stability for standing. The goal is a single mobility device that not only optimizes daily activities (i.e. wheelchair seating and propulsion, with dynamic positioning), but that also serves as an easy-to-use rehabilitation tool for therapeutic benefits (i.e. a detachable powered exoskeleton for walking sojourns). This has significant potential benefits for the lives of people with mobility impairments.