Supporting Technology for Wheelchair Users - Intuitive Interface and Step Climbing Assistance

This paper introduces the two types of supporting technology for wheelchair users. One is the intuitive interface for electric wheelchair user. The other is step climbing mechanism for manual wheelchair users. In order to realize intuitive interface, we adopt to use human body motion interface. From the experiment, it turned out that proposed interface has a potential for providing intuitive operation. For manual wheelchair users, we propose the assistive caster unit for step climbing. This Caster unit has two functions, one is the assistive plate and the other is lock function. The assistive plate makes easy step climbing. The lock function enables to climb a step form oblique approach. For the experiment, the proposed caster unit could reduce user’s driving force, namely it could assist manual wheelchair users.