Designing an adaptive shade above the wheelchair.

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Assistive Technology Design

Background:

• Millions of individuals worldwide use wheelchairs for mobility.
• Wheelchair users often face challenges with environmental factors like rain, impacting daily activities and independence.
• Existing solutions may be costly or not universally applicable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design an adaptive shade for wheelchairs, compatible with both manual and electric models.
• To create a customizable and user-friendly shade solution.
• To develop a low-cost assistive device for wheelchair users.

Main Methods:

• Standard wheelchair measurements were used to determine shade dimensions.
• The design focused on simple operability and adaptability to different wheelchair standards.
• Cost-effectiveness was a primary design consideration.

Main Results:

• A simply operable, adaptive shade for wheelchairs was successfully designed.
• The shade was developed at a very low cost (60 SR).
• The design is customizable for various wheelchair standards.

Conclusions:

• This manually operated adaptive shade provides essential rain protection for wheelchair users, particularly in regions with frequent rainfall.
• The device enables individuals with walking impairments to perform daily activities more independently.
• This innovation has implications for improving the quality of life and self-dependency of over 75 million people globally.
• The low-cost nature of the shade makes it an accessible solution for enhancing mobility and protection.