Wheelchair for disabled children in Haiti

Handicapped children in Haiti typically do not have wheelchairs suitable for their environment and cannot afford one designed for the local conditions. The country´s terrain is mainly mountainous, rocky, and muddy. Haiti is currently the poorest country in the western hemisphere, with 80% of the population below the poverty line and an average income of $1-$2 per day. This project aims to design and produce a tested and refined wheelchair for the client, a Haitian child. This wheelchair will enable the client to traverse over the various terrains, be independently mobile, and engage in activities such as attending school and bathing himself. It must also be locally maintainable and affordable on an average Haitian income. The design approach for the project began with a general list of customer needs, target specifications, and functions created through interviews and conducting preliminary research. Different techniques were implemented to conduct concept generation, evaluation, and selection for each of the subsystems. SolidWorks and mathematical models were used to analyze support forces, propulsion, braking, and failure. The mathematical and computational analyses were synthesized to select the wheelchair subsystems. Subsystem prototypes were tested and refined, followed by the integration into a final prototype. The final prototype is composed of a PVC frame and recycled bicycle parts, all of which are abundant in Haiti and can be obtained locally. The team has produced a comprehensive parts list and assembly guide so that anyone in Haiti can produce the wheelchair without confusion. The wheelchair allows movement directly by the user, as well as an assisting individual. Because of the wheelchair, the client can participate in village life and become a contributing member of society.