The goal of this project is to develop a system to help a person with muscular dystrophy and limited strength with the act of transferring himself or herself from a bed to either of two wheelchairs and back. This project seeks to modify the methods of assisted transfer so that they could be accomplished by the person being transferred and/or by machine. This project was initially conceived of to meet the needs of an actual client. This client is used as an example throughout the discussion of the project. Multiple techniques and products are considered. Finally, a system is developed and analyzed. This system uses several products from several manufacturers and entails specific motions and techniques that are performed by the client. The final system, although initially designed for the example client, can be used by any person who has upper body control, enough hand grip strength in one hand to support the weight of his or her upper body (with his or her arm fully extended, pointing forward in the horizontal plane and pointing anywhere between downward and nearly vertically upward in the vertical plane) and enough range of motion in his or her arms to don and doff the incorporated vest and sling.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Curran, David H.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 07D054M

Advisor

• Hoffman, Allen H.
• Ault, Holly Keyes

Year

• 2007

Date created

• 2007-01-01

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright