> Prototypes for Public Usage
At present, the number of the elderly and disabled persons in Thailand is continuously increasing. A wheelchair is one of the devices that can help improve their quality of life; however, some people do not have enough strength to turn the wheel or move the wheelchair by themselves. An electric wheelchair, therefore, had become another option to solve this problem.
MTEC research team had designed and developed an electronic device (M-Wheel) to transform a normal wheelchair into a motorized wheelchair at an affordable price since the available electric wheelchairs in the market are quite expensive. The developed device consisted of three main parts, namely a power unit, a control unit, and a power source unit.
Three main parts that turn a normal wheelchair into a motorized wheelchair
The research team had transferred this technology to 3 technical institutes, namely, Chonburi Technological College, Thai-Austrian Technical College, and Samutprakan Technical College, to provide services of production and maintenance for the local community.
M-Wheel has various remarkable properties, such as an ease of installation and control, an ability to be loaded up to 80 kg and used on slopes, and a maximum working time of 4 hours. The electric system is safe because it had passed the electric medical device standard and magnetic interference protection.
This device is suitable for all users, especially the paraplegia disabilities. The survey results from the elderly and disabled persons on the actual use of the device had shown that the device is easy to use, helps improve their quality of life and reduce the dependence on others as well as the cost of nursing care.
The development of M-Wheel not only creates the knowledge transfer of the design and manufacture of the standardized medical devices but also helps build the technological network with both the public and private sectors.
Team research
Dr. Danu Prommin and Biomechanics Research Team