Abstract (Executive Summary)

The present report aims to describe the concept evaluation of the Liberators
rehabilitation wheelchair design. The Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) population is
aging at a concerning rate and the government announced it will not be adding more
long-term care centers in the future. As such, it is imperative that NL develop a
solution to make these care centers less critical. The Liberators goal in designing
this wheelchair is to provide a rehabilitation device that allows for the recovery of
muscles, flexibility and range of motion in the lower body. This wheelchair is
intended for individuals who have lost mobility of the lower body and would prefer to
complete the majority of their rehabilitation from inside the home. Additionally, this
design will stride to provide individuals a cost effective rehabilitation option
compared to traditional methods such as physiotherapy sessions and extended stays
at care centers.
The initial stages of this project are strictly conceptual as a large amount of research
is crucial in the planning and developmental stages of the design. In this conceptual
stage, all options regarding the wheelchair design within the constraints identified,
with the primary constraints being schedule and scope, were explored. The
preliminary design stage determined that the wheelchair would employ rehabilitation
attachments instead of an all-in-one design. Next, the secondary design stage was
used to evaluate five attachable design options. These options included pneumatic,
resistance bands, weight-cable, electric motor and electric motor/resistance bands
based designs. Ultimately, the pneumatic design was chosen for the final design
going forward.
An evaluation matrix was employed to evaluate the preliminary and secondary
design stages. In this matrix, each evaluation criteria was assigned a percentage
weight determined by the importance of the overall design. Then, the criteria for
each design option was rated from one to five with five being excellent and one
being unacceptable. Criteria used for this project in decreasing order of importance
are exercise effectiveness, cost, wheelchair mobility, adaptability, ease of operation,
weight and visual aesthetics. Once each criteria was rated, a percentage score was
calculated within the template to allow the best or qualifying designs to be identified.
A minimum percentage score of 70% for the preliminary design stage and 80% for
the secondary design stage were required for a design to qualify for further
evaluation.
Now that the conceptual section of this project is finalized, a comprehensive design
development stage will commence. This will include finalizing dimensions of all
components and an extensive materials analysis. The design will also undergo
testing using computer programs SolidWorks and MATLAB Simulink. In addition to
developing a detailed model and drawings of the final wheelchair, SolidWorks will be
used to conduct a motion analysis to ensure the design can provide necessary
movements for effective rehabilitation exercises. MATLAB Simulink will be utilized to

test the functionality of the design mechanism through detailed kinematic and
dynamic analysis.

Acknowledgements
This project would not have been possible without the kind support and assistance of
numerous individuals and organizations. We would like to extend our sincerest
thanks to each of them.
We greatly appreciate the motivation and understanding of Dr. Luc Rolland, who
responded promptly and enthusiastically to all requests and questions. We especially
thank him for providing suggestions to improve the project and bring about the best
results possible.
We would also like to thank Dr. Aaron McKim for his valuable guidance. His
knowledge of the impact of the aging population on Eastern Health provided us with
better insight as to how to design a rehabilitation wheelchair that will better fit the
needs of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

ii

Table of Contents
1

Introduction.........................................................................................................1

Problem Statement and Constraints...............................................................2

2.1 Problem Statement.......................................................................................2
2.2 Constraints.....................................................................................................2

Project Management Plan.................................................................................4

3.1 Team Responsibilities...................................................................................4
3.2 Tools, Software and Resources...................................................................4
3.3 Project Schedule...........................................................................................5

Targeted Human Anatomy.................................................................................6

Design Criteria.....................................................................................................9

Design Brainstorming / Evaluation................................................................12

6.1 Evaluation Matrix........................................................................................12
6.2 Preliminary Design Stage..........................................................................13
6.2.1 Attachment Wheelchair........................................................................13
6.2.2 All-in-One Wheelchair...........................................................................14
6.2.3 Conclusion of Preliminary Design Stage...........................................14
6.3 Secondary Design Stage............................................................................15
6.3.1 Pneumatic Design..................................................................................15
6.3.2 Resistance Bands Design.....................................................................18
6.3.3 Weight Cable Design.............................................................................20
6.3.4 Electric Motor Design...........................................................................22
6.3.5 Electric Motor Resistance Bands Design........................................24

Design Selection...............................................................................................26

Future Plans / Next Stage................................................................................29

Conclusion..........................................................................................................30

iii

List of Tables
Table
Table
Table
Table
Table
Table

1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:

Team Roles and Responsibilities.........................................................................4

Criteria Ratings...................................................................................................... 9
Cost Ratings Wheelchair mobility....................................................................10
Weight Ratings..................................................................................................... 11
Criteria Grading Scheme.................................................................................... 12
Final Design Ratings........................................................................................... 26

Table of Figures
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure

1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:

Pneumatic Design..................................................................................15
Pneumatic Cylinder...............................................................................17
Resistance Bands Design.....................................................................18
Weight Cable Design.............................................................................20
Electric Motor Design............................................................................22
Electric Motor-Resistance Bands Design...........................................24
Final Design (1)......................................................................................27
Final Design (2)......................................................................................28

Appendices
Appendix
Appendix
Appendix
Appendix
Appendix

A: Gantt Chart.......................................................................................32
B: Evaluation Matrix.............................................................................33
C: Economic Analysis............................................................................34
D: Weight Calculations for Exercise Attachments...........................35
E: Weight Analysis................................................................................36

iv

Introduction

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) is currently facing a significant increase in the age
of the population and will see the ratio of working people to elderly people decrease
from 8 to approximately 3.5 in the next 20 years. This is very concerning, as the
government has stated they will not build more care facilities in the future and the
current facilities are full. Therefore, it is crucial for NL to find a solution to keep
people living at home longer.
Eastern Health has been researching current methods being used in other countries
such as Denmark, where the medical community has been successful in keeping the
elderly more independent. The ultimate goal of Eastern Health is to find ways to
further improve on their methods through additional research and innovation.
The Liberators rehabilitation wheelchair will be designed to help Eastern Health in
accomplishing their ultimate goal as stated in the Problem Statement in Section 2.1.

2 Problem Statement and Constraints

2.1 Problem Statement
The Liberators will be working with a Doctor from Eastern Health as well as an
Engineering Professor from Memorial University of Newfoundland over the next
month to design a rehabilitation wheelchair comprised of mechanical systems to aid
in the recovery of muscle, movement and flexibility of a persons lower body. This
person may have been involved in a tragic car accident or has been bed ridden due
to other injuries or illness, resulting in the deterioration of lower body muscles and
reduced mobility.
The design of this project will focus on the rehabilitation of the main muscles within
the leg including the quad, gluteus and hamstring. It will consider a users increased
flexibility in the hip flexors and lower body joints.
Rehabilitation for people in this situation is very expensive; therefore, a major goal of
this project is to develop a rehabilitation method that is more financially viable than
current methods where frequent sessions to a physiotherapist or a long stay at a
rehabilitation center is needed. The success of this project could result in a
revolution of how the medical field thinks and operates.

2.2 Constraints
Restrictions that limit the effective completion of this project are summarized below
in point form. As with most projects, the two primary constraints are schedule and
scope.
Project Schedule
Limited amount of time to complete project;
First report and presentation to be completed by March 3;
Final report and presentation to be completed by March 23.
Scope
Produce a rehabilitation wheelchair design capable of rehabilitating a person's
lower body.
Knowledge
Limited background knowledge of medical field.
Weight
Limited to a minimum weight in order to produce capable design;
Maximum weight with attachables: 150lbs;
Maximum weight without attachables: 40lbs.
Wheelchair Size
Limited to a size in which the user can complete everyday activities with
relative ease;
2

 Width must be small enough to fit through a door frame (32 inches);
Length: 40 inches;
Height: 48 inches.
Note: sizes loosely based on average size of electric wheelchair; all sizes include
attachments.
Cost
Limited to a maximum cost to consumer; above which, rehabilitation
wheelchair will not be a viable financial option to users;
Must be less costly than traditional options: (i.e. rehabilitation clinic,
physiotherapist sessions);
Maximum cost to user: $8000.
Safety
The rehabilitation wheelchair design is required to be safe for the user;
Design must not include substantially more risk compared to going to a
physiotherapist.
Manufacturing Equipment
Limited to machinery in engineering building;

Have: lathe, laser cutter, milling machine, band saw, rapid prototyping
machine and belt sander.

3 Project Management Plan

3.1 Team Responsibilities
Team roles and responsibilities can be found in the table below. It should be noted
that members will have input on all project criteria and these roles represent
overseeing the designated sections.
Member

Role

Responsibilities

Stephen
Dobbin

Project/Cost
Engineer

Project Management and oversee all team

activities

Justin Hand

Project
Coordinator

Coordinate all team activities and correspondence

Chadd
Kennedy

Project
Engineer

Researching all existing information/products and

finalizing reports

Jonathan
Thoms

Design
Engineer

Ensure accurate models are developed in

SolidWorks and updating website

Table 1: Team Roles and Responsibilities

3.2 Tools, Software and Resources

Throughout the design process, several programs will be utilized to ensure a
successful project. SolidWorks is a solid modeling computer-aided design (CAD) and
computer-aided engineering (CAE) computer program. SolidWorks utilizes a
parametric feature-based approach to create models and assemblies, from this
program it is possible to complete kinematic, dynamic and structural analysis on
design mechanisms. MATLAB will also be utilized for the kinematic and dynamic
analysis of the mechanisms. MATLAB is a multi-paradigm numerical computing
environment and fourth-generation programming language. MATLAB allows matrix
manipulations, implementation of algorithms and plotting of functions and data. By
using SolidWorks and MATLAB, we can obtain a suitable design and prove that the
design is plausible and effective in a real life application. Other software to be used
4

for this project will include but is not limited to:

Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and PowerPoint)
Cyberduck (for connecting to websites server)
Notepad++ (for editing the .html files to create the website)
3.3 Project Schedule
The Gantt chart found in Appendix A outlines major project tasks. Information
included with each task includes responsible team member, projected start and end
dates, status (not started, in progress or completed) and the estimated hours to
complete.
Notable items not included in the Gantt chart:
Weekly Meetings:
weekly (Tuesdays @ 2:00 p.m.)
Website Updates:
weekly
Log Books and Meeting Minutes: weekly

Targeted Human Anatomy

The purpose of the rehabilitation wheelchair is to restore leg muscles that are
necessary for walking. As such, it is critical to the success of this project to select
exercises that best activate muscles that are used for walking. In order of decreasing
significance, the thigh, knee, hip and ankle are the primary areas of interest [1].
Therefore, the muscles to be targeted using the rehabilitation wheelchair are:

The quads (rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and vastus
intermedius);
sartorius (which runs from the hip to the inside of the knee);
gracilis (inside the leg);
hamstrings (the muscles at the back of the leg comprising biceps femoris,
semimembranosus and semitendinosus);
iliopsoas (in the hips);
shin muscles (tibialis, peroneus longus, and calves (gastrocnemius, and
soleus));
pectineus;
gluteus medius and gluteus maximus.

Physical therapy involves exercising and manipulating the body for the purpose of
improving joint and muscle function, thus helping people stand, balance, and walk.
Some of the techniques to achieve these results involve range-of-motion exercises
and muscle-strengthening exercises. A person's range-of-motion commonly becomes
restricted after prolonged bed rest. Restricted range-of-motion can cause pain,
interfere with a persons ability to function, increase the risk of skin being worn away
and create pressure sores [2]. For the rehabilitation mechanism to be effective, it is
important that it not only strengthens muscles, but also increases a person's rangeof-motion.
The three general types of range-of-motion exercises are active exercises, activeassertive exercises and passive exercises [2]. Active exercises are designed for
people who can exercise a muscle or joint without assistance. Active-assistive
exercises are designed for people who require a small amount of assistance to
exercise a muscle or a joint, or for people who can move their joints, but feel pain
when they do so. A therapist will help a patient move their limbs by hand or using
equipment. Lastly, passive exercises are designed for people who cannot actively
participate in exercise. The patient is not required to exert any effort and the
therapist moves their limbs for them.
For the purpose of this project, the rehabilitation wheelchair is being designed to
conduct active exercises. That is, the patient is able to move their limbs and no
therapist is required.
6

Once the patient has sufficient range-of-motion to perform muscle building exercises,
they would use progressively increased resistance on very select movements. When
a muscle is very weak, movement against gravity alone is sufficient. As muscle
strength increases, the total resistance can be gradually increased to provide
sufficient overload. Listed below are exercises that will be incorporated into the
wheelchair. These exercises will effectively increase the muscle mass of the critical
muscle groups and can be performed from a seated position.

Leg curls

The leg
starting
gluteus

curl exercise targets the hamstring muscle group. It comprises of

with a straight leg and bending it downwards towards the
against resistance [3].

Leg extensions

The leg extension exercise targets the quadriceps muscle

comprises of bending the leg at the knee and extending the
bottom of the legs to create a flat leg.

Leg press

group. It

The leg press exercise targets the quadriceps, hamstring, gluteus

maximus and shin muscle groups. It comprises of bending the leg at
the knee and pushing a resistance away from the body.

Hip abductors/adductors
These exercises target the hip abductors/adductors. They
comprise of pushing
resistance into or
away from the hips with a
slight bend in the
knee.

Calf

Calve raises
raises exercises target the shin muscles. They comprise of pushing
resistance upwards from the top of knee using a bent knee
configuration.

Design Criteria

An instrumental step to the design process was determining criteria to base the
design around. It was also important to determine which criteria would be weighed
the heaviest. The evaluation matrix that is described in Section 5.1 was used to
determine a percentage rating system for the various criteria. Evaluation matrices
for the preliminary and secondary design stages can be found in Appendix B. The
criteria chosen to evaluate the design options and the weighted percentage assigned
to each criteria are found below. Each criteria is explicitly described throughout this
section.
Criteria

Percentage Weight
(%)

Exercise
Effectiveness

25

Cost

20

Wheelchair Mobility

15

Adaptability

15

Ease of Operation

10

Weight

10

Visual Aesthetic

Table 2: Criteria Ratings

Exercise effectiveness
9

Exercise effectiveness was determined to be the most important criteria because the
wheelchair embodying exercises that can sufficiently rehabilitate a user is the
fundamental concept of this project. In other words, if the rehabilitation wheelchair is
not capable of providing effective exercises to a user, the purpose of this project will
be unfulfilled.
Ideally, the wheelchair design will incorporate exercises for recovery of leg muscles,
range of motion and flexibility. In order of decreasing significance, the thigh, knee,
hip and ankle are the primary areas of interest. Also, it is critical that the resistance
for the exercises is variable so that the user can increase resistance as they gain
strength. Important exercises for leg rehabilitation include leg curls, leg extensions,
leg press, hip abductors/adductors and calf raises. More information can be found on
the critical muscle groups and exercises for rehabilitation in Section 3.
Cost
Cost received a high weighted percentage since a major goal of the project is to
develop a rehabilitation method that is more financially viable than current methods,
which include frequent visits with physiotherapist or long stays at rehabilitation
centers. Preferably, the wheelchair designed for this project will be able to be sold at
a price close to the average price of a manual wheelchair ($500) [4]. An economic
analysis was done comparing the total cost of each design and can be seen in
Appendix C. Using the table below a rating can be assigned to each design based on
the respective cost ranges.
Cost ($)

Rating

>1250

1000-1250

750-1000

550-750

0-550

Table 3: Cost Ratings

Wheelchair mobility
The mobility criteria can be defined as the level of ability for the wheelchair to
function in everyday tasks. These tasks include the wheelchair fitting through doors
and being transported in a vehicle. It should be noted that the average doorframe is
32 inches wide. This criteria considers the mobility of the wheelchair with and
without the exercise attachments connected. Ideally, the wheelchair with
attachments will be capable of leaving the home and completing routine errands
such as going to the grocery store or bank.
10

Adaptability
The adaptability criteria involves the wheelchairs ability to compensate to its user.
Ideally, the final design will include adjustable settings for different leg sizes and leg
strengths. As the user recovers muscle mass and becomes stronger, they should be
able to increase exercise resistances to continue the rehabilitation process.
Additionally, the goal is to design a wheelchair that is compatible with users of all
shapes and sizes.
Ease of operation
The ease of operation criteria can be defined as the easiness of the patient to use
the rehabilitation wheelchair, both in terms of completing exercises and using the
wheelchair for transportation purposes. Ideally, the user will be able to
connect/disconnect the attachments and change the exercise resistances with
relative ease.
Weight
The weight criteria of the project is simple yet fundamental. Clearly, the
rehabilitation wheelchair will be designed to be as lightweight as possible.
Additionally, a proper center of gravity for the design is important so that the
wheelchair is stable and easy to transport. The table below demonstrates the ratings
associated with respective weight ranges.
Weight (lbs)

Rating

>200

150-200

100-150

50-100

<50

Table 4: Weight Ratings

Visual aesthetics
While the most important aspect of the design is that it is capable of rehabilitating
the lower body, it is also critical that the wheelchair has a favourable appearance.
Studies have shown that if a user enjoys the appearance of a product, they are much
more likely to purchase and use the product [5]. Ideally, the design will employ a
sleek and clean presentation.
11

6 Design Brainstorming / Evaluation

6.1 Evaluation Matrix
The preliminary and secondary design selection processes involved the use of an
evaluation matrix that can be found in Appendix B. In the preliminary design stage,
the evaluation matrix was used to determine if the rehabilitation wheelchair would
employ an attachable mechanism design or an all-in-one design. Once this was
determined, the evaluation mechanism was used to evaluate five different design
options.
Each design criteria was given a percentage weight determined by their importance
to the overall design. Important criteria that increased the efficiency of rehabilitation
such as exercise effectiveness were given a higher weight than less important
criteria. These percentage weights ensured the most important aspects of the
rehabilitation wheelchair were the main focus within the chosen design.
To use the evaluation matrix, the user must rate the criteria of each option from one
to five. Five is the highest available grade and one is the lowest. The grading scheme
for each rating is as follows:
Gradi
ng

Concept

Criteria Description

12

Excellent

Exceed all requirement elements, with superior/ high

adequacy level.

Good

Exceed most of the required elements. Adequacy level

generally exceeds desired standards.

Satisfactor
y

Meets some required elements. Some weaknesses. Adequacy

level meets desired standards.

Bad

Many deficiencies, adequate.

Unaccepta
ble

Insufficient and unacceptable.

Table 5: Criteria Grading Scheme

Once each concept had been rated, a percentage score was calculated within the
template to allow the winning designs to be simply identified. It can also be noted
that a minimum percentage score was required to qualify the design for further
evaluation. This minimum percentage score was set at 70% for the preliminary
design stage and 80% for the secondary design stage.

6.2 Preliminary Design Stage

The preliminary stage of the design process determined if the wheelchair was going
employ rehabilitation attachments or if the rehabilitation devices would be fixed to
the chair. To complete this exercise, the attachments design and the all-in-one
design were compared using the evaluation matrix described in Section 5.1. The
following paragraphs describe the preliminary design stage.
At the attachment versus all-in-one stage of the design process, it was premature to
differentiate between the costs and adaptability criteria associated with the
respective designs. Moreover, in order to be consistent with the secondary design
analysis, both designs received a score of 3 for these criteria. Costs and adaptability
were comprehensively evaluated in the secondary design stage and can be found in
Section 5.3.
Additionally, the preliminary design stage was conducted assuming that the
attachment wheelchair design and the all-in-one wheelchair design utilized
equivalent rehabilitation systems. That is, whether the designs used weights,
resistance bands, motors, etc. was not considered.

13

6.2.1 Attachment Wheelchair

The principle concept of the Attachment Wheelchair is that it utilizes rehabilitation
attachments and at its core, is a conventional manual wheelchair. As such,
attachments for this wheelchair include all necessary equipment, weights and
resistance bands to conduct rehabilitation exercises. However, any required motors
or pneumatic equipment are fixed permanently to the wheelchair. The following
paragraphs will describe the evaluation of criteria for the attachment wheelchair; the
evaluation matrix can be found in Appendix B.
In terms of exercise effectiveness, the attachment wheelchair received the highest
possible rating of 5. Because there are no constraints on the number of possible
attachments and sizes of attachments, there is no limit to the exercises and
resistances for this design. Furthermore, compared to an all-in-one design, it is
relatively easy to incorporate all necessary rehabilitation exercises into the
attachment wheelchair.
With regards to wheelchair mobility, this design scored a rating of 4. The attachable
wheelchair design is able to remove the majority of its rehabilitation equipment and
function very closely to a conventional wheelchair. The possibility of having motors
and pneumatic equipment fixed to the wheelchair is the only reason this design did
not receive a perfect score of 5.
Next, the attachment wheelchair design scored a 4 in the weight criteria. This was a
difficult criteria to evaluate because the weight of the wheelchair will vary depending
on the type and number of rehabilitation attachments connected. At the preliminary
stage, it was not decided what type of attachments would be included in the final
design. However, because the attachment design has removable components, it is
evident that the weight of the attachment wheelchair will on average be significantly
lower than the weight of the all-in-one design.
The attachment wheelchair design scored a 3 in the criteria of ease of operation.
This design is able to employ mechanisms that make changing lengths, attachments
and exercise resistances user friendly. However, it is inherent that ease of operation
for the attachable design is considerably worse than the all-in-one design because
the latter design does not require the user to connect and disconnect attachments.
Lastly, the attachable wheelchair design received a rating of 4 for the visual
aesthetics criteria. Both this design and the all-in-one design will be made to look
visually pleasing. However, the fact that the attachable design allows the user to
remove or connect attachments as desired gives it a clear advantage.
6.2.2 All-in-One Wheelchair
The all-in-one wheelchair design does not include attachments. Instead, all
necessary rehabilitation equipment and resistance drivers are fixed to the
wheelchair. Like the attachment wheelchair, the designs base is a conventional
14

manual wheelchair. The following paragraphs will describe the evaluation of criteria
for the all-in-one wheelchair; the evaluation matrix can be found in Appendix B.
Regarding exercise effectiveness, the all-in-one wheelchair received a rating of 4.
This design incorporates exercises that sufficiently cover stretching, flexibility and
strength training for all critical movements. However, the all-in-one design was
graded lower than the attachable wheelchair for this criteria based on range of
exercises.
Next, the all-in-one wheelchair design scored a 2 in the wheelchair mobility criteria.
Because this design cannot reduce to a conventional wheelchair, it is fundamentally
less mobile than the attachable wheelchair design. The all-in-one design is difficult to
use in public places and challenging to transport relative to the attachable design.
In terms of the weight criteria, the all-in-one wheelchair design scored a 2. This is a
difficult criteria to evaluate at the preliminary design stage because the type of
rehabilitation equipment had not been determined. However, simply because the
attachable design allows the user to remove equipment as desired, the weight of the
all-in-one design is clearly heavier on average.
The all-in-one wheelchair design scored a perfect 5 in the criteria of ease of
operation. Like the attachment design, this design is able to employ mechanisms
that allow for simple leg length and exercise resistance alterations. What makes the
all-in-one design inherently more usable is that it doesnt require the user to connect
and disconnect attachments.
Lastly, a rating of 3 was given to the all-in-one wheelchair design for the visual
aesthetics criteria. This design received a lower rating than the attachment design
because for the attachment design, the user is able to selectively remove or add
attachments in order to give the wheelchair a desired appearance.
6.2.3 Conclusion of Preliminary Design Stage
After a comprehensive evaluation of the attachable design and all-in-one design, it
was decided to implement an attachable design going forward. The attachable
design had a significant advantage over the all-in-one design in terms of mobility
and weight. Additionally, the attachable design showed advantages in exercise
effectiveness and visual aesthetics. Ease of operation was the only criteria in which
the all-in-one design displayed a clear advantage.

15

6.3 Secondary Design Stage

Once it was decided that the design would use attachable parts, the secondary
design stage commenced. The purpose of this stage was to determine the
components to be used and the resistance sources for the rehabilitation exercises.
Designs evaluated include pneumatic, resistance bands, weight-cable, electric motor
and electric motor-resistance bands. The secondary design stage options were
compared using the evaluation matrix described in Section 5.1.
6.3.1 Pneumatic Design

Figure 1: Pneumatic Design

16

Over thirty years ago in a small factory in Fresno, California, the first air resistance
training equipment was produced [6]. Pneumatic cylinders (sometimes known as air
cylinders) are mechanical devices which use the power of compressed gas to
produce a force in a reciprocating linear motion [7]. Like all exercise equipment, a
mechanism is connected to a device which will cause a resistance. The pneumatic
cylinder can be set to a certain level of resistance by adding or reducing the amount
of air in the cylinder, which provides a precise level of resistance to the exercises.
The principal concept of the pneumatics design is that it uses a double-acting
pneumatic cylinder to provide resistance for all exercises. Evaluation of the
pneumatic design was completed using the evaluation matrix that can be found in
Appendix B and is described in Section 5.1. The following paragraphs describe the
evaluation.
The pneumatic design provides very effective exercises. With the use of a doubleacting cylinder, the design provides means of performing adequate leg stretches to
increase lower body joint flexibility, especially in the hip flexors. Also, the pneumatic
system is capable of achieving variable and accurate levels of resistance that would
allow the user to apply sufficient and gradual overload in order to rehabilitate leg
muscle. This causes a higher training effect over free-weights and the lack of inertia
while performing movements would ensure that proper overload is achieved. Lastly,
the pneumatic system is very versatile, and could be used for a variety of exercises
to strengthen the main muscles groups in the legs with exercises such as leg
extensions, hamstring curls, leg presses, adductor/abductor movements, and/or calf
raises. This justifies a score of 5 in the exercise effectiveness category.
The total cost of the pneumatic design can be determined from background research
on the price of necessary components. Assuming a stroke length of 18 is required,
the cost of a pneumatic cylinder is $150 [8], the required attachments are
approximately $100 and the necessary hardware is $10. This brings the total cost of
this design, including the wheelchair, to approximately $760 with a rating of 3 in the
cost category.
Adding the pneumatic system would not be detrimental to the mobility of the
wheelchair, but compared to some other options it has less mobility. The pneumatic
cylinder is attached to the bottom of the wheelchair at all times and could be a
hindrance in certain situations. Concluding, the pneumatic design received a rating
of 4 in the mobility category.
In terms of adaptability, pneumatics does a fantastic job. The system can be switch
operated and set to vary weight in increments of 0.15kg. Different users will be able
to add more or less resistance over time and in varying amounts. Being able to
control resistance in such a fine manner places the adaptability rank at a 5.
The pneumatic design is very user friendly and easy to operate. The user is able to
adjust the amount of resistance while exercising without having to stop the machine
to manually switch bands, rods, or weights. If desired, the beginning stage of the
17

eccentric contraction could have no resistance in order to make it easy to start an

exercise. These characteristics place the ease of use rating for the pneumatic design
at 5.
Looking at the weight for the pneumatic system, the pneumatic cylinder weighs 5.3
lbs, the wheelchair base 40 lbs [4], the mounting material 5 lbs and the exercise
attachments 71 lbs. The calculation for the weight of the exercise attachments can
be found in Appendix D. To complete this calculation, the material for the
attachments was determined to be Aluminum Alloy 3003, which contains respectable
levels of weldability, machining, corrosion resistance and strength [9]. From
Solidworks, the total cubic area of the attachable components was found to be
11853 cm . The total weight of the pneumatic design was calculated to be 121.3 lbs,
giving it a rating of 3.
3

The pneumatic cylinder is a smooth and sleek piece of equipment. For visual
aesthetics it rates well compared to the other options. However, the cylinder is quite
large. There are no clanging weights and the design is smooth and quiet to operate.
As such, the pneumatic design received a rating of 4 in the visual aesthetics
category.

Figure 2: Pneumatic Cylinder

18

6.3.2 Resistance Bands Design

Figure 3: Resistance Bands Design

The fundamental concept of the resistance bands design is that resistance is

provided through resistance bands that are configured using the wheelchair and
other objects. Depending on the exercise, the bands will be configured differently.
Evaluation of the resistance bands design was completed using the evaluation
matrix that can be found in Appendix B and is described in Section 5.1. The following
paragraphs describe the evaluation.
The best three exercises using resistance bands are the leg press, leg curl and
seated abduction [10]. The leg press would be done by wrapping the resistance band
19

from one arm of the wheelchair to the other and pushing the slack of the band out
with your feet. This technique will allow the band to be adjusted to different levels of
tension. Next, the leg curl exercise would be done by looping the band around the
users ankle and anchoring the other end to a support such as a pole. The user would
then back away from the support to create tension on the band and bend their leg at
the knee, bringing their heel towards them. Finally, the seated abduction exercise is
done by the user tying the resistance band around both legs, just above the knees.
With the users feet placed slightly wider than their shoulders apart, they would
slowly press their knees out, turning their feet as the exercise progressed. The user
would then hold the extended position for two seconds and bring their knees back
together. Because of the capacity to complete these exercises, the resistance bands
design received a rating of 4 in the exercise effectiveness category.
The financial impact of purchasing resistance bands to customize a wheelchair is
negligible compared to the cost of a wheelchair. A package of resistance bands of
varying strengths can be purchased for $35 [11]. Choosing resistance bands for the
primary method of rehabilitation would be the most economical choice. As such, the
resistance bands design would cost approximately $535, receiving a rating of 5 in
the cost category.
The impact of resistance bands on the mobility of the wheelchair is also negligible as
they can easily be wrapped up and stored into the side pocket or basket of the
wheelchair. Therefore, the wheelchair would operate the same as an ordinary
wheelchair and be able to fit through doors and into vehicles without any additional
complications. As such, the resistance bands design received a rating of 4 in the
mobility category.
The resistance bands design received a rating of 4 in the adaptability category
because it can be adjusted to fit people of all different shapes and sizes. Also, the
resistance bands level of tension can be varied for people of different strengths
without any additional work.
The weight of the elastic bands design is the best of any option. This is because the
only weight associated with the design is that of the wheelchair base at 40 lbs. The
weight of the elastic bands is negligible. As such, this design received rating of 5 in
the weight category.
The resistance bands design received a rating of 3 in the ease of operation category.
As previously mentioned, the resistance bands design is relatively adaptable and can
be used by everyone with ease. However, the resistance bands are relatively difficult
to set-up and require assistance. Once set-up, the exercises described in the exercise
effectiveness paragraph of this section will be easy to complete, even for people with
little body strength, though it is possible for a users foot to become disengaged
during exercise. Finally, once a user is finished exercising, the resistance bands are
easy to disassemble and store.
The visual aesthetics of the resistance bands design are significantly worse than that
20

of a standard wheelchair. The resistance bands would be eye sores and cause the
design to stand out in public. As such, the resistance bands design received a rating
of 3 in the visual aesthetics category.
6.3.3 Weight-Cable Design

Figure 4: Weight Cable Design

The fundamental concept of the weight-cable design is that resistance is provided by

adjustable weights on the back of the wheelchair that are connected to a cable that
21

is linked to foot pedals on the front of the chair. Evaluation of the weight-cable
design was completed using the evaluation matrix that can be found in Appendix B
and is described in Section 5.1. The following paragraphs describe the evaluation.
The weight-cable design received a rating of 3 in the exercise effectiveness section.
The three best exercises for using a cable machine system with weights are the leg
press, leg curl and seated abduction [10]. The wheelchair would be equipped with
adjustable weights on the back (ranging from 5-50lbs) that are connected to a cable
which extends to the front of the wheelchair and links into the foot pedals used by
the user for exercising. To do the leg press, the user would angle the foot pedals at
180 degrees to their body and push forward. The leg curl requires the user to keep
the same angle as the leg press but instead bend their leg at the knee and bring
their heel towards them as far as comfortably possible. Finally, the seated abduction
exercise is done by adjusting the pedals to 90 degrees (normal position) and the user
slowly pressing their knees out, turning their feet in as their legs move apart. The
user would then hold for two seconds and bring their knees back together. Exercises
using the cable design cover every primary muscle from the waist down.
The total cost of the weight-cable design is $700. The base wheelchair cost is $500,
the cost of the weights and cable is $90, the cost of mounting hardware is $10 and
the cost of the attachable components is $100. As such, this design received a rating
of 4 for the cost section.
The weight-cable design received a rating of 2 in the mobility section. The impact of
adding weights and a cable to the mobility of the wheelchair is considerable, as
adding approximately 50 pounds would make the design difficult to move. Also, the
size of the wheelchair would become larger to make room for the weights, thus
making tight turns challenging.
The adaptability of the weight-cable design is good because it can be adjusted to fit
people of all different shapes and sizes. Also, the amount of weight can be varied to
accommodate users of different strengths. As such, the weight-cable design received
a rating of 4 in the adaptability section.
The total weight of this design comes in at 166 lbs. The standard wheelchair base
weighs 40 lbs, the weights used for resistance 50 lbs, the mounting material 5 lbs
and the exercise attachments 71 lbs. As such, the weight-cable design received a
score of 2 for the weight criteria. The weight of the exercise attachments is the same
as that for the pneumatic design and its calculation can be found in Appendix D.
The weight-cable design received a rating of 3 in the ease of operation category. As
previously mentioned, the weight-cable option is quite adaptable and can be used by
everyone with ease. However, exercises could be complicated to set-up and require
assistance. Additionally, once finished exercising, disassembly is difficult and could
require assistance.
The visual aesthetics for the weight-cable design are not ideal and received a rating
22

of 2. The design looks quite bulky and therefore, potential customers would be less
inclined to use it.
6.3.4 Electric Motor Design

Figure 5: Electric Motor Design

The fundamental concept of the electric motor design is that resistance for all
exercises is provided by a 40V, 400W electric motor on the back of the wheelchair.
Evaluation of the weight-cable design was completed using the evaluation matrix
that can be found in Appendix B and is described in Section 5.1. The following
paragraphs describe the evaluation.
23

In terms of exercise effectiveness, the electric motor design received a rating of 3.

Implementing a design based on electric motor resistance allows a user full control
over the resistance applied throughout an exercise. The user is able to complete a
full range of exercises that target strength, flexibility and range of motion.
The electric motor design received a rating of 3 in the cost category. Incorporating an
electric motor into the design of a wheelchair leads to this design being relatively
costly compared to other options. The electric motor allows single and multiple leg
exercises to be completed. The motor, along with its attachments and hardware
have an estimated cost of $360, bringing the total cost of this design to
approximately $860.
Due to the added size associated with the electrical components of the electric
motor design, a grade of 3 was achieved for the mobility category. The added
components do not restrict the wheelchair from proceeding through a doorway, but
do add considerable bulkiness. Furthermore, the added components of this design
reduce the mobility of the wheelchair, however, they do not significantly limit a
users movement.
Next, the electric motor design scored a 3 in the adaptability section. This design
incorporates a device that allows the patient to control the amount of resistance
faced with each exercise, thus allowing the user to build strength starting at a low
resistance. Additionally, adaptability of different body sizes is achieved through
adjustable features. However, once all the power created is used, it is not possible to
create anymore, thus hurting the adaptability rating.
The electric motor design received a rating of 4 in terms of ease of operation. The
user is able to change exercise resistances with relative ease using a handheld
device. Although the size of electrical equipment adds bulkiness to the design, there
is no added difficulty for operating the equipment or wheelchair during daily
activities. Users can also change exercises with little to no assistance using this
design.
Introducing electrical components to the design of the wheelchair creates a large
increase in weight. The total weight of this design is 139.1 lbs, which yields a rating
of 3. The wheelchair base weighs 40 lbs, the electric motor 23.1 lbs, the mounting
material 5 lbs and the exercise attachments 71 lbs. The weight of the exercise
attachments is the same as that for the pneumatic design and its calculation can be
found in Appendix D.
With regards to visual aesthetics, the eclectic motor design scored a 2. The electrical
components of this design introduce a bulky appearance to the wheelchair.
Conversely, most users look for a clean and sleek appearance.

24

6.3.5 Electric Motor Resistance Bands Design

Figure 6: Electric Motor-Resistance Bands Design

The fundamental concept of the electric motorresistance bands design is that

resistance for strength training is provided by resistance bands and resistance for
flexibility training is provided by a 40V, 400W electric motor. Evaluation of the
weight-cable design was completed using the evaluation matrix that can be found in
Appendix B and is described in Section 5.1. The following paragraphs describe the
evaluation.
The design incorporating resistance bands and electric motor resistance was given
the top grade of 5 in the exercise effectiveness category. This design utilizes
resistance bands for muscle strengthening and the electric motor resistance for
25

flexibility training. Studies have shown that resistance bands provide suitable and
progressive resistance in the lower extremity muscles for patients beginning a
typical rehabilitation program [12]. The electric motor resistance allows the user to
increase flexibility in their hips and lower body joints by completing various essential
stretches without the help from another person [13]. These stretches are an
important stage of recovery as they preserve flexibility, reduce stiffness and increase
mobility. Concluding, all necessary muscle groups are targeted and this option
provides the most variety of exercises.
The electric motor, its attachments and hardware cost approximately $360. The cost
of the resistance bands is relatively cheap (approximate $35 per band package), but
due to the electric motor required to provide the desired stretching capability of the
design, the total cost is $395, resulting in a total cost of $895 and a rating of 3 for
this design.
The resistance band and electric motor design was given a grade of 3 for the
mobility category. Both the resistance bands and the electric motors add bulk to the
wheelchair, thus decreasing mobility. The design is capable of fitting through a door,
but other daily tasks, such as transferring to a vehicle, would be difficult.
Due to the ability of this design to adjust to a users exercise resistance or size, it
was given a score of 4 in the adaptability category. Both the resistance bands and
electric motor include adaptable features. The availability of varying resistance level
bands allows the user to interchange bands on the mechanism as muscle recovery
progresses. The electric motor allows the user to control the amount of resistance so
they can increase force as they develop flexibility.
In terms of ease of operation, this design received a grade of 4. Resistance bands
allow for simple interchanging features, with minimum time needed to change
bands. The electric motor resistance is easily controlled with a device capable of
varying the force applied. Both components of the design allow for interchangeability
between exercises with little or no assistance.
This design earned a grade of 4 in the evaluation of its weight. The total weight of
the electric motor-resistance band design is 78.5 lbs. That wheelchair base weighs
40 lbs, the electric motor 23.1 lbs, the mounting material 5 lbs and the exercise
attachments 10.4 lbs. Like the other options, the exercise attachments were
calculated using Aluminum Alloy 3003 as the material. From Solidworks, the cubic
area of the attachments for this design was found to be 1728 cm . The complete
calculation can be found in Appendix D.
3

This design received a score of 2 in the visual aesthetics category. The addition of
the resistance bands and electric motor provide a cluttered and bulky appearance
that users do not want.

26

Design Selection

Completion of the secondary design stage resulted in the resistance band design and
pneumatic resistance design being rated the two best design choices with
percentage grades of 83% and 84%. The percentage grades of all design options are
found in the below table:
Design Option

Percentage Grade
(%)

Electronic Resistance

61

Weights

61

Resistance Bands Electric

Motor

76

Resistance Bands

83

Pneumatics

84

Table 6: Final Design Ratings

Due to the high ratings of both possible designs, further research and evaluation was
required to determine the best design to produce sufficient rehabilitation for the
patient. Through this further evaluation, the attachable pneumatic design was
determined to be the superior design. This design produces a rehabilitation
wheelchair with the best balance between safety and technical ability.
Safety wise, the pneumatic design was chosen due to its ability to incorporate a
pressure release function. This function allows all resistance to be removed from the
system in the case of an emergency or malfunction. A function of this type was
unable to be designed in the resistance band design, resulting in the danger of
stored energy within the band creating an unneeded safety risk. Although the
pneumatic design incorporates safety systems, no design, no matter how many
safety systems, will ever be fully safe. Safety of the patients is extremely important
factor for all designs, therefore proving the pneumatic design to be favorable.
The pneumatic design achieved the highest percentage grade (84%) of all design
27

options. This high evaluation percentage can be attributed to the pneumatic designs
exceptional ratings in exercise effectiveness, ease of operation and adaptability. The
designs dual-acting cylinder allows for variable levels of resistance in positive and
negative directions, thus allowing for multiple exercises to be completed at different
resistance levels. The adaptability of this design revolves around its ability to
produce varied levels of resistance, which also contributes to a favorable ease of
operation. Additionally, the design is able to be adjusted to accommodate users of all
shapes and sizes.
Cost and weight of this design were found to be slightly higher than other options.
However, the higher cost and weight can be justified because they produce an
overall more effective wheelchair.
To conclude, the pneumatic resistance design has been chosen for the rehabilitation
wheelchair design due to its highly effective rehabilitating capabilities and higher
safety characteristics.

28

Figure 7: Final Design (1)

29

Figure 8: Final Design (2)

30

8 Future Plans / Next Stage

Now that the type of design that will be utilized for this project has been determined,
the next step is to develop the final design. SolidWorks will be used to complete a
detailed model and drawing of the final wheelchair. Additionally, a motion analysis
will be completed using SolidWorks to ensure the rehabilitation wheelchair can
provide the necessary movements for effective exercises. Next, a comprehensive
materials evaluation will be conducted to determine the most effective and costly
material to employ for each wheelchair component. MATLAB Simulink, along with
previous engineering knowledge will be utilized to conduct extensive kinematic and
dynamic analyses of the rehabilitation wheelchairs mechanisms. These analyses will
be used to test whether the mechanisms are attainable.
Once the final design has been finalized and time permitting, a prototype will be
built. Because of the complexity of this project, the prototype will differ from the final
design in that it will be proportionally smaller and likely use different materials.
Moreover, the prototype will function as a visual aide.

31

Conclusion

The report entails the steps followed to complete the initial design phase of a
rehabilitation wheelchair to assist Eastern Health in the recovery of muscle,
movement and flexibility of a persons lower body that has lost mobility. Initial
research was done on exercises currently used for the rehabilitation of the lower
body; these exercises were used to determine which type of mechanisms would be
designed for the rehabilitation wheelchair. First, preliminary design stage was
completed involving the evaluation of an attachable design versus an all-in-one
design. Once it was decided to use an attachable design, a secondary design stage
was completed to evaluate 5 different attachable designs. The outcome of the
secondary design evaluation resulted in a pneumatic rehabilitation wheelchair being
selected for further evaluation with Eastern Health.

32

References
[1] Similarity of Joint Kinematics and Muscle Demands Between Elliptical Training and
Walking: Implications for Practice. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2016, from
http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/90/2/289.abstract
[2] Physical Therapy (PT). (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2016, from
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/fundamentals/rehabilitation/physical-therapy(pt)
[3] Knee, Thigh & Hamstring Exercises. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2016, from
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/rehabilitation-exercises/knee-hamstring-thighexercises
[4] Manual Wheelchairs. (n.d.). Retrieved February 4, 2016, from
http://www.1800wheelchair.ca/category/118/manual-wheelchairs
[5] First Impressions Matter: The Importance of Great Visual Design. (2012).
Retrieved February 7, 2016, from http://conversionxl.com/first-impressions-matterthe-importance-of-great-visual-design/
[6] Iron Vs. Air: Why Pneumatic Resistance Might Be the Next Big Thing. (n.d.).
Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://greatist.com/fitness/pneumatic-resistanceexercise-machines
[7] Majumdar, S. R. (1996). Pneumatic Systems: Principles and Maintenance. New
York: McGraw-Hill.
[8] (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from
http://www.automationdirect.com/static/specs/nitrassrb2.pd
[9] 3003 Aluminum Material Property Data Sheet - Product availability and request a
quote. Retrieved February 29, 2016, from
http://www.suppliersonline.com/propertypages/3003.asp
[10] 33 Resistance Band Exercises You Can Do Literally Anywhere. (n.d.). Retrieved
March 01, 2016, from http://greatist.com/fitness/resistance-band-exercises
[11] Black Mountain Products Resistance Band Set. (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2016,
from http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Mountain-Products-Resistance-Band-Set-6Bands-Included/23528921

33

[12] Elhauge, E. R. (n.d.). Why the Google Books Settlement is Procompetitive. SSRN
Electronic Journal SSRN Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
[13] (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2016,
from http://alsworldwide.org/assets/misc/RANGE_OF_MOTION_EXERCISES_WITH_PHO
TOS_copy.pdf

Appendix A: Gantt Chart

Gantt Chart:

34

Appendix B: Evaluation Matrix

Evaluation Matrix:

35

Appendix C: Economic Analysis

Economic Analysis:

36

Appendix D: Weight Calculations for Exercise Attachments

Weight Calculations for Exercise Attachments:
Material: Aluminum Alloy 3003
37

Density: 2.73 g/cm3

Designs: Pneumatic, Weight-Cable, Electric Motor:

Cubic Area of Components
Leg Plate: 30cm x 60cm x 2.5cm = 4500cm3
Abductor Plates: 2 x (30cm x 30cm x 2.5cm) = 4500cm3
Calf Raises: 30cm x 15cm x 2.5cm = 1125cm3
Leg Curls/Leg Extension = (2 x 5cm x 50cm) + (2 x (5cm)2) = 1728cm3
Total Weight = (2.73 g/cm3) x (4500cm3 + 4500cm3 + 1125cm3 + 1728cm3) =
32359g = 71lbs

Design: Electric Motor Resistance Bands:

Cubic Area of Cylinder from above: 1728cm3
Total Weight = (2.73 g/cm3) x (1728cm3) = 4717g = 10.41lbs

38

Appendix E: Weight Analysis

Weight Analysis:

39