Development of stair climbing wheelchair with leg & wheel system (2nd Report) - automatic stair climbing tests using stair measurement system by image processor

Abstract

The number of lower limb disabled people have lately been increasing because of traffic accidents and aging society. Most of the lower limb disabled people daily live on wheelchairs. Stairs and step are considerable obstacles for the people whose living depends upon wheelchairs. Although stair climbable robots have been developed as robots for extreme tasks, they are of large size, and heavy weight, and too forceful for stairs at home or hospitals. Therefore they are not suitable for welfare purpose at home or hospitals. This study aims at the development of stair climbing wheelchair which offers assistance to the lower limb disabled people. The stair climbing wheelchair has been developed for welfare purpose. The second report described how to develop stair climbing mechanism of leg and wheel type wheelchair. This report describes how to succeed in automating stair climbing by loading new developed measurement system on the stair climbing wheelchair.