Wheel Equal

We currently have three teams 5 of senior engineering students at UMass. They are working on our first 3 prototypes.

1.) User-adjustable wheelchair brake.
Current wheelchair brakes often become misaligned or stop working due to the wear of consumable parts. They require tools and skill to adjust properly. Users report needing this every few months.
Our brake uses a similar mechanism to brake but is designed to stay better aligned and be adjustable without tools!

2.) Omnidirectional wheel.
Many users foot propel as one would in a rolling office chair. Wheelchairs can be adjusted for optimal height and angle to accommodate this. The problem that remains is that users often run over their feet as their wheels swivel in maneuvering. A non-castering omnidirectional wheel mitigates this problem. Omnidirectional wheels are common in robotics. The existing omni wheels on the market are mostly designed for robots on level surfaces that are free of obstructions.
Others have worked on developing them for wheelchairs but none have been brought to market.
We want users to be able to do light off-roading with confidence!

3.) Suspended anti tipper.
The small front wheels of a wheelchair often dig in on varied terrain. Moving the large drive wheels under the riders center of mass reduces impact and resistance for front casters. This makes the ride smoother and easier with less rolling resistance. This is not commonly done because optimizing performance in this way creates issues with stability. Namely increased risk of tipping backward.
Existing anti-tippers are at a constant height, difficult to engage/disengage and can easily become separated from the chair and lost. Our suspended anti tipper has a broad range of height adjustments and is more permanently affixed. This will allow users to confidently keep their drive wheels closer to the center of gravity optimizing for going over varied terrain.
An angle of tilt between 25 and 65 degrees can provide pressure relief.

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