Title: A review on wheelchair and add-in devices design for the disabled

Authors: Sateesh Reddy Avutu; Sudip Paul; B. Venkateswara Reddy

Addresses: Biomedical Engineering Department, North Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya, Shillong-793022, India ' Biomedical Engineering Department, North Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya, Shillong-793022, India ' Electronics and Communication Engineering Department, Vikas College of Engineering and Technology, Nunna, Vijayawada, India

Abstract: Owing to rapidly aging populations and rising road accidents, the daily use of wheelchairs, which has become necessary to aid mobility for the disabled, is growing globally. The patients with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, and those inflicted with seizures need a wheelchair. The authors expect that the information gathered within this research will enhance the understanding of modern-day wheelchair requirements. This article presents the global research campaign, starting with a debut to the wheelchair and the communities they serve. Technological inventions focus on probably the most researched regions, creating one of the most interesting future research and development. This article reviews the role of wheelchairs for different disabilities by examining its respective merits and demerits. It highlights the gap between the associated technological features and capabilities, including the navigation and motion control methods, pros and cons of indoor-outdoor navigation on different surfaces such as standard, sandy, muddy and hilly terrain when using a wheelchair. Concerns related to the improvement the living conditions of the disabled have been concluded.

Keywords: assistive device; ergonomic design aspects; indoor-outdoor navigation; rehabilitation; wheelchair technologies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2023.128512

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2023 Vol.41 No.1, pp.35 - 59

Received: 10 Jul 2020
Accepted: 09 Nov 2020
Published online: 25 Jan 2023 *