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Smart wheelchair beats barriers

April 30, 2017

Team effort

Team effort:  Carol Ng (centre) learns to use the smart electric wheelchair developed by University of Science & Technology students.

Conquering challenges

Conquering challenges:  Carol Ng uses the smart wheelchair at Cybathlon, the world's first bionic Olympics. (Courtesy ETH Zurich)

Applied learning

Applied learning:  The students have applied for a patent for their smart wheelchair and hope to make it available to the public.

Mobility marvel

Mobility marvel:  Carol Ng says the smart wheelchair boosts her confidence by allowing her to go out more to meet friends.

Getting around town was always a challenge for Carol Ng.

 

Suffering from polio and a curved spine, the 31-year-old has been using an electric wheelchair since she injured herself in a fall three years ago.

 

Her mobility was hindered by the stairs and kerbs on the city's streets.

 

However, this started to change six months ago when she received an invitation from the University of Science & Technology to try its electronic wheelchair that can navigate rough and uneven terrain.

 

Ms Ng said: "I feel amazed when I sit on the electric wheelchair. It can climb stairs and slopes."

 

Automated assistance

Students from the university's Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering developed the wheelchair to compete in Cybathlon, the world's first bionic Olympics, held in Zurich last October.

 

The event promotes the use of robotics by the disabled, and saw 70 participants from 25 countries take part in various competitions.

 

The bionic assistive devices used by the contestants included prostheses, powered exoskeletons and brain-computer interfaces.

 

Teaming up with the university students, Ms Ng raced against 11 electric wheelchair users in an obstacle course competition, which featured challenges like traversing uneven surfaces and climbing stairs.

 

She finished second to win a silver medal.

 

"I was just a few seconds slower than the winner. I led the race from the start, but I got nervous near the finish line. I paid too much attention to the Swiss team. As I was distracted, we eventually lost to them."

 

She said the smart wheelchair has greatly improved her mobility.

 

"I can go out more often to meet friends. This boosts my confidence."

 

Smart upstarts

The smart wheelchair has an automatic levelling system so its user stays upright when on slanted surfaces.

 

When the wheelchair is on stairs or slopes, its sensors will detect the gradient and adjust the seat angle to maintain balance.

 

Its wheels are wrapped in rubber tracks, allowing the wheelchair to navigate rugged terrain and stairs.

 

It took the students eight months to design and build the wheelchair. They also tested it.

 

Tech talent

Student Gwyneth Lau said the experience taught them how hard it can be for the disabled to get around.

 

The team is glad the competition brought some international recognition to their technological talent.

 

Student Kenneth Suen said the silver medal proved their abilities.

 

"We really tried to apply the engineering knowledge from our textbooks into practical experiences. [The win shows] Hong Kong students are capable to compete with other international students as well as international companies."

 

They have applied for a patent for their design and plan to launch an improved version by the end of this year. They hope to make the wheelchair available to the public by the middle of next year.

 

The university's Assistant Professor of Engineering Education Robin Ma said the invention will benefit more people.

 

"The production cost of the powered wheelchair that we were using for the competition was about $25,000. We really hope one day to make a powered wheelchair with a lower price [so more people can] enjoy our technology."

 

Prof Ma praised the inventors for their success, and hopes to send more students to the next Cybathlon in 2020.



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