Wheelchair-mounted robotic arm to hold and move communication device

Some individuals with disabilities who use wheelchairs utilize communication devices to control their environment. Such devices are typically mounted on a fixed arm in a manner that obstructs the line of sight of a user when navigating the wheelchair. Some individuals with disabilities who utilize wheelchairs have limited or no control of arm or head movement. Design of a user-controlled robotic arm which moves the communication device in and out of the user’s line of sight would enable navigation of the wheelchair without removal of the communication device. Such a robotic device will be controlled by a push-button jelly switch. Positioning of this activation device will be located behind the user’s left elbow. Design of a single-axis, rotary robotic arm to be installed on a Quantum Q6 Edge wheelchair is ongoing, and will be completed by February 2014. A working prototype will be completed before April 2014. It is expected that upon completion of the robotic arm, the device will successfully move an 8 lb. Dynavox Maestro communication device in and out of a user’s line of sight by single-switch activation initiated by a user. The design presented in this report is patent pending.