A seven member team from the Saint Gits Engineering college, Pathamuttam near Changanassery, has come out with a multipurpose wheelchair, with many additional facilities, which the team claims to be much better than traditional designs.
The team includes Alif Al Salim, Alen Thomas, Anvin, Albert Mathew, Alif J, Aju Jo Sankarathil and Akhil Mathew Sunny, guided by Sreesh P S, Assistant Professor of the Mechanical Department of the college.
The team got inspiration to make a new wheelchair, after witnessing the hardships that the users of conventional wheelchairs have to endure. “It is then that they decided to utilise their technical knowledge to make a new wheelchair after addressing the existing drawbacks of traditional wheel chairs”, says Alif Al Salim who heads the team.
In traditional wheelchairs, the effort that the user has to put in is tremendous. It strains the hand, muscles and back of the user. The new wheelchair is driven by a lever which is attached to the front part. Since the effort required is lesser, the user can operate it even with one hand. Another speciality is a knob, which can be set in the forward, reverse and neutral positions. When the knob is set in the forward or reverse modes, the user can operate the wheel chair by himself. Once the knob is set in the neutral position a second person can push or pull the wheel chair to facilitate movement. The driving lever would also help steering the wheelchair. Usually the backrest slanting mechanism can only be operated by a second person.
But in the new design, a backrest slanting mechanism with five adjustable positions, which can be operated by the user itself, with the help of a control knob, is attached under the seat. Another speciality is the armrest. The wheelchair is designed with a foldable armchair that makes possible easy access from bed.