STAIRCASE LIFT DESIGN FOR ELDERLY AT

HOME
Abstract
The main objective of this project is to develop an
indoor as well as outdoor stair lift. A stair lift is a
chair that glides up and down a staircase on a
motorized rail. While going up and down the stairs
safety is the primary concern, the present day, top
quality lifts include many features to maximize
comfort, ease of use and attractiveness in the
home, which is a safe and affordable solution to
overcome the unique needs and challenges that
people experience on the stairs. Stair lift, the
mobile chair-like mobility device attached on one
side of stairways, allows to improve access for
aged between floors at homes, and to make many
people with mobility problems live independently
through the internet of things. Hence, we are
designing a single rail stair elevator to reduce
production costs as well as construction time that
is required in case of escalators and elevators.
1 Introduction
Advancements in technology made disabled
people to lead an independent life and play a
more productive role in society. Stairways into
buildings present a significant environmental
barrier for those with mobility impairments,
including older adults. A number of home access
solutions that allow users to safely enter and exit
the home exist; however these all have some
limitations. The purpose of this work was to
develop a novel, an inclusive home access solution
that integrates a staircase and a lift into one device.
The Excel stairway lift system will be installed
in order to give people the independence needed to
move around their home. The use of two
individual stairway lift systems ensures that she
can easily move from level to level. A handle
placed in between the two stairway lift systems,
which will allow them to move from one chair to
the other. A novel remote centre mechanism was
proposed where in a wheelchair can glide along
the stairs. In this system, the angle of the seat on
the attitude of the chair changes along the angle of
inclination of the user irrelevant of the angle of the
wheelchair. An attitude sensor along with a
relatively small actuator used, this minimal degree
of active control made possible. Usually we find
that people neither can drive wheelchairs properly
at cross muddy patches nor uneven terrain. Similar
is in the case of stair where one approach is use of
legs. Advances in robotics have made it possible to
build and control machines in every way possible.
It is not difficult to build a wheelchair with legs
that can climb slopes, step over obstacles, which
run along stairs. In 1987 a four legged chair
developed by the University of Illinois at Chicago
and the Veterans Administration Hines
Rehabilitation Research and Development Centre
based on research in quadruped walking was
developed. This invention could sustain a weight
of around 110 kg. In addition, has a capacity of
carrying a payload of 113.6 kg.
In October 1998, a prototype incorporating a
computer controlled pantographic legs and with a
simple linear gait walked in the laboratory.
However, it did not carry a passenger, and it was
using a stationary controller containing complex
design. It is due to the legs that a person had to sit
in stable position without any movement, which is
not very comfortable in many cases. Even there
are safety issues concerned with the system. In
wheeled systems, the wheels passively support the
chair and do not require any control electronics nor
needs any maintenance of system. Because of the
complexity of the system, safety is a natural
concern lack of which people do not opt for this
mechanism.
A staircase can make climbing of stairs for
aged and physically handicapped a breezy affair.
This led to use of smart stair lift in Kerala. This
stair lift has a rail of 12 meters attached on one
side of stair was and has a battery which gives
continuous 24V DC current. This system though
being most advanced costs up to 0.3million along
with maintenance for period of six months and
includes installation costs.
Elevators have powered electric motors that
can drive either traction cables or counterweight
systems. Because of the wheelchair access laws
and constraints like power consumption, and
limited access, occupying large area. There is a
rule made for shopping malls and few multi-
storeyed buildings to have elevator or escalator to
aid people with disabilities. Stair lift is a
mechanical device for lifting people or
wheelchairs up and down stairs accordingly,
implemented at both sufficiently wide stairs and
narrow staircases. A chair attached to the rail for a
person to sit. A person on the chair moves along
the rail with the help of motorized rail. Stair lifts
also known with various names as stair lifts, stair-
lifts, chair lifts, stair gliders. There should not be
any confusion between chair lift and the lift used
by skiers. Smart staircase is a type of lift mounted
on the staircase without any modification in civil
structures. This smart staircase off course runs on
electric power, which may be AC or DC and
consists of a motor two rails a sliding chair. The
actual size of the smart staircase acting as a lift
will depend on length of staircase and can be
assembled, and mounted accordingly as per
convenience and disassembled easily with little
efforts. Lifts are invented long back, then came
escalators both being implemented indoor gave
rise to mobility problem for physically
handicapped and aged who have a habit of moving
outdoor. But, installation of lift involves ample
amount of time and cost for rails, motor honk, and
civil structures.
For the installation of lifts in the stalk,
structure cost is too high and it even depends on
usage of lift. To overcome these factors like cost
of implementation and cost of civil construction,
the concept of stair case lift come with advantages
over traditional elevators and escalator. The
reduced extra costing associated with the lift
mechanism, and with the fact that implementation
of the system is possible even outdoor. A lift is an
essential platform that is either pulls up or pushes
down with the help of mechanical structure. The
modern day lift when consists of a cab mounted
within a closed space. In the past, lift driving
principle was based on steam generated power or
water hydraulic pistons, which on advancement
became simpler as discussed earlier.
 The respective advantages and disadvantages
of different types of electric-powered wheelchairs,
elevators, and escalators outlined for an overall
comparison of the control method using user
friendly methods, cost of mechanical manufacture
and structure, power consumption, and
adaptability to different stairs; we proposed our
Smart staircase system with few smart features.
The sensor used in this system for
implementation of automation is force resistive
sensor with specification of FSR406. On study of
its behaviour, it understood that the aggregations
of readings from all the individual force sensors
are to take required action. This sensor arranged at
smart positions in order to take appropriate action
when the person sits on the chair comfortably.
This FSR406 has a required active area to sense
the force acting when a man sits on the chair.
More advanced system could be in practise with
very small modification of use of certain ultrasonic
sensors for detection of obstacle in any case. By
arranging four ultrasonic sensors at the footrest
and armrest, forthcoming person or object detected
and the device stopped for few seconds until
obstacle is out of the way.
There exists few models such as escalators and
elevators, used to go up and down the stairs but
these, are not explicitly for the physically
handicapped. For an instance, a physically
handicapped cannot use the escalator the only
option available to him/her is the use of the
elevator. There also exist scenarios where both
elevators and escalators cannot be used due to
limitations in architecture. The drawbacks in the
existing systems are:
1. Elevators occupy more space. Therefore,
implementation in places where sufficient space is
not available becomes tough.
2. The existing systems consume more power for
operation. Despite of using of sensors in escalators
for power saving, still the power consumption is
high.
3. If these are not operated properly, they can be
dangerous
4. Healthy people develop the habit of depending
upon elevators; therefore, the physical activity
reduces.
5. In elevators, people get struck for hours between
floors when the power goes out and there is no
back up for the power supply.
6. It involves risk while operating these in wooden
houses and buildings.
The design being modified and installed at
home will not be for an individual confined to a
wheelchair. Due to spatial restrictions, the design
calls for a collapsible built in the chair system.
Equipped with a seatbelt and a remote, this system
will allow for independent mobility up and down
the stairs
2 WORKING OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM
Our interest specifically focused, on the
development of an IOT based electro-mechanical
system where in a person can connect to the smart
staircase through an android application built in
MIT app inventor for locomotion over the stairs. A
smart positioning of the sensor over the chair
enables a person automatically gets the access to
this novel system.
These days the Internet of Things (IoT) is the
most famous and trending wireless communication
model due to its vast applications and reach to
access. It involves a simple concept of controlling
electronic or electro mechanical devices using
internet. Our smart staircase also has this smart
and easy feature of internet of things. Node mcu
being a controller that has inbuilt Wi-Fi capability
is being used as its range is 15-200 meters and
simple to program. Node mcu occupies less space
and has the easily understandable architecture
reducing efforts of programmer. However, Node
mcu has only one analog pin, used for FSR406
without any risk. Other digital pins used for motor
driving using the motor driver MD30C and limit
switches arranged at both ends to know the end
points
 Figure 1 Home screen of android app
3 PARTS SPECIFICATIONS
S.NO PART SPECIFICATIO QUANTITY
N
1 Winch 12V DC Motor 1
LT200 Max Load 2000lb
2 Switched I/p:230V AC 1
Mode O/p:12V DC 50A
Power
Supply
3 Motor O/p:12V DC 30A 1
Driver MD
30C
4 Micro 2.4 GHz in built 1
Controller Wifi Module
Node
 MCU
5 Inline 76mm 8
Hockey
Rollers
6 Limit 3.3V-15V 2
Switches
7 Force 1m ohm to 100 1
Sensing ohm
Resistor

The low-power Wi-Fi system for sensing

applications is optimized to have advantages of
accuracy, speed, throughput, delay, and coverage
range. Hence, node MCU being most
advantageous is used in this project.
There might be a situation where people do
not even want to use any button system. It being
obvious, as technology has been tremendously
improving day-to-day people wants their life to be
more comfortable. This is the reason that a force
sensor arranged in such a way that, it can sense the
force acting on it when a person sits on the chair
and programmatically a delay of few seconds is
given for the person to completely make
him/herself comfortable on the chair and put the
seat belt on. Safety is always the first priority that
a person looks into when is getting on with new
technology along side with efficiency, speed and
accuracy.
4 BLOCK DIAGRAM

Figure 3 Block Diagram of Smart Staircase

5 FLOW CHART
 Stop

Figure 4 Flowchart for working of the Smart

Staircase
Initially using the mobile, we need to connect
to Node mcu through Wi-Fi. Here Node mcu is
server and password protected. Using the
application pre-installed on the mobile phone we
can have control over its operation for mobility
over stairs. In automatic mode using pressure
sensor, when the weight acts on it, chair slides
over stairs either upward or downward. Here
SMPS (switched mode power supply) connected to
a motor driver through Node mcu which enables
for sliding of the chair over the rail. Its architecture
is most economical and made portable so that it
can be fixed anywhere with less efforts and less
power consumption. Physically handicapped and
aged people can use this smart staircase easily as it
has two modes automatic and mobile operated. It
all depends on the user to use in which mode either
in automatic or mobile operated. There are two
rails, one on the top and other at the bottom for
more secure performance and sustainability.
Utility winch is fixed at certain height so that
pull to the chair uninterrupted. There are rollers at
the back of the chair, on the rail arranged in ’V’
shape. There is a hook like the structure, which
attached to the chair. This utility winch is of
2000lb so that it can manage a weight of around
1000 kilograms. Gravitational force (mgh) acts in
opposite direction to the upward movement in
order satisfy this 2000lb utility winch is used.
 The paddles are arranged one at the bottom
and two at the middle. These foldable paddles are
used so that it does not disturb people climbing the
stairs.

6 CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE SCOPE

In this paper, we proposed an IOT based system,
which provides the easy way for aged and
physically handicapped for mobility over stairs.
After getting phone connected to the system, easily
using the application which is on your phone one
can ascend or descend over the stairs. In the
automatic mode, smart positioning of the sensor
enables sliding over the stairs even easier with
least efforts made by human. Architecture is cost
effective and portable with in less time This
system can be advanced to have a battery back in
case of any power issues. This system can be
implemented on straight stairs only, and can be
further modified for even turns.
References
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Development of an integrated staircase lift for
home access
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