Modelling and simulation of a reconfigurable wheelchair with a sit-to-stand facility for a disabled child

This paper discusses the modelling and simulation of a reconfigurable wheelchair with a sit-to-stand facility for a disabled 25kg child. The prototype is designed in SolidWorks® and simulated in MATLAB® to get the suitable forces that have to be provided by the motors to activate the system. Three different techniques will be used in modelling the wheelchair. SolidWorks® software package will be used in the initial stage in order to get an estimation of the necessary motor power. A second model of the system will be built using SimMechanics Matlab toolbox®. In order to check the results obtained from both approaches; SolidWorks and SimMechanics, the model built designed by SolidWorks is embedded in SimMechanics where the system has been simulated for the third time. In all the three simulation stages; the system is considered to do a complete cycle of motion; sit-to-stand and a stand-to-sit. The system performance has been detected based on an open loop scenario where no control is implemented as this stage. Further analysis of the system has been done considering the energy consumption in two different modes; sit-to-stand mode and a forward straight line motion for a prescribed distance.