PROBLEM SOLVING SKILL ASSIGNMENT

PHY098
2021/2022

PROJECT TITLE: ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR

GROUP / CLASS: S25

NAMES ID NUMBERS

AMIRUL HAFEEZ BIN YUSNAZERY 2021815602

FARHAH BATRISYIA BINTI ABDUL RAHIM 2021817858

FILZATUL HANAN BINTI FAIZAL 2021207094

RAJA SITI KHUMAIRAH BINTI RAJA SALLEH 2021807508

NUR FAZREEN BINTI SUPRADI 2021469184

MARKS:

1
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Number Contents Pages

1 Acknowledgement 2

2 Problem Identification 3

3 Analysis 4

4 Application 5

5 Evaluation 6

6 Decision Making 7

7 References 8

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Initially, praise to Allah SWT for His showers of blessings throughout the process of
completing this problem skill assignment that we finally managed to complete our project.

Secondly, we would also like to express our deepest gratitude to our physics lecturer, Miss
Mas Fiza Mustafa for the guidance and inspiration in completing this task as well as for being a
responsible lecturer towards us. We completely cherish the efforts she shows in order to make
physics seem easier and fun to learn.

On the other hand, we are definitely thankful towards each other for the cooperation
expressed, the time spent and the knowledge shared in order to accomplish this assignment. We
did such a great job in fairly discussing and dividing the task we need to fulfill as all of us are
actively involved. With utmost appreciation, our works are successfully completed with a full
understanding of our project and ready to be examined by our lecturer.

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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Wheelchairs are such a common thing to our society since they provide mobility and
access for those who are unable to move by themselves. However the manual wheelchairs that
are present nowadays need some adjustments towards the structure itself in order to improve
their performance and function.

One of the weaknesses that frequently occur is that it may have limited mobility in some
situations. Manual wheelchairs can offer great mobility in some cases. However, if we are
dealing with problems below the waist such as paralysis or need to be in a seated position while
you travel, then this type of chair probably would not work very well for us as it must be used
when we are seated upright only.

Next, normal wheelchairs urge us to use our energy in order to move. These problems
usually occur when the users are all alone and need to handle the wheelchair by themselves. It
will surely burden them as they logically have less ability to move and suffer from any physical
health. If this case occurs, we can say that wheelchairs have not functioned well in movement as
it should be. These people need to be accompanied and observed all the time which can interrupt
other people’s daily schedule and routine.

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ANALYSIS

The basic concept of a wheelchair is that it is a chair that comes with wheels which offers
mobility to the occupant. Mainly all types of wheelchairs have these common structures which
are a seat, foot rests, 4 wheels; two large wheels at the back and two caster wheels at the front
and hand rims at the back of the seat for manual maneuvering by the other person from the
occupant. The large wheels were also accompanied with hand rims that were often made from
metal or plastic for the occupants to maneuver the wheelchair themselves.

As the technologies around the world are evolving by each second, wheelchairs also were
not left behind as they evolved to meet the needs of the occupant and to provide the highest
possible level of comfort to them. This is because wheelchairs are considered to be a source of
mobility or a way to live a life especially for the 75 million people around the world that make
up 1% of the global population which depends on wheelchairs.

Nowadays, there are various types of wheelchairs introduced to serve a different purpose
for the occupant. For instance, the electric wheelchair that serves the same purpose as the
manual wheelchair but works in a different way. As in the name, the electric wheelchair uses
electrical energy that is generated from the battery to power the motor installed and controlled by
the joystick located at the end of the armrest.

In an electric wheelchair, the common number of the battery used is two batteries that are
connected in series. The batteries will provide power for the motor to work, hence enabling the
mobility of the wheelchair. The common size of the battery used are either the group 22NF or
the group 24 meanwhile the common type of battery used are lead-acid battery and lithium
battery. The user can just charge the battery by connecting the given battery charger to a normal
power outlet. The normal duration for full charging of the battery is around 6-8 hours but it
depends on the type of battery used.

The motor is normally located beneath the seat. There are usually two motors installed in
electric wheelchairs for two drive wheelchairs. The motor works by converting the electrical
energy supplied into mechanical energy that eventually provides motion. The force is generated
within the motor through the interaction between a magnetic field and winding alternating (AC)
or direct (DC) current. The two types of common motor used are two-pole or four-pole. The
two-pole motor has two brushes and two magnets meanwhile the four-pole motor has four
brushes and four magnets. The brushes will maintain contact with the commutator that will
provide energy to the rotor to achieve power and movement.

An electric wheelchair can be controlled by using a joystick installed at the end of the
armrest. Occupants can just use their hand to use the joystick in order to maneuver the
wheelchair that immediately replaces the manual maneuvering used in manual wheelchairs. The
joystick movement is converted into electrical energy that will be processed and translated by
the control unit which acts like the brain of the chair down to the motor. This allows the correct
amount of power to be supplied to the drive wheel to propel the chair.

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APPLICATION

An electric wheelchair is an assistive mobility equipment. It is generally used by those

who are unable to walk due to a medical condition. The electric wheelchairs are beneficial for
those who are unable to push themselves in a manual wheelchair or who need to use a
wheelchair for long distances or over terrain that would be exhausting in a manual wheelchair.
People with 'conventional' mobility problems, as well as those with cardiovascular and
fatigue-related disorders, may benefit from them.

Although, the electric wheelchairs may be used both indoors and outside, giving continual
assistance to those who require it throughout the day. Powered chairs also have a narrow turning
radius, making them excellent for manoeuvring through confined places.Therefore, it makes
more places become accessible compared to a manual chair. In a manual chair, you may never
have been able to achieve heights you thought were feasible. Steep inclines and challenging
terrain, which may dissuade visitors from following a given path, are suddenly simpler to reach.
We have a line of electric wheelchairs with a 16-inch rear-wheel drive system for a smooth trip
up and down stairs and slopes.

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EVALUATION

Electric wheelchair is one of the essentials that help disabled people in their daily life such
as blind people and paralysis people also for aged people. However, this innovation needs to be
upgraded in order to function efficiently including their safety and comfort so that their
movements are not being limited. One of these is the formation of a sensor system. Sensor
systems for autonomous mobile robot navigation have been developed for a variety of
commercial applications such as a wheelchair. This innovation assists disabled people in
scanning any obstacle in front of them and warn them. Also, the additional navigation map helps
them to return back home safely.

The utilisation of a sensor system equipped by the sensors and DC motor driver module to
powered the wheelchairs. The sensors that function as an obstacle detection have a range
distance which is about 1 meter from the detector. The existence of beeper is really helpful to
warn or inform them by emitting the “beep” sound. So, people will be cautious. Not only that, it
can prevent some unexpected accidents of disabled people. This is because not every single
disabled person lives together with their family. For these people who live alone need something
to lessen their burden’s life. Moreover, the application of the sensor system is related to the
application of acoustic waves which make it effectively function. Acoustic wave sensors are
named suit by its capabilities of detection mechanism through wave. Any changes in the
properties of the propagation route alter the velocity or amplitude of the acoustic waves as it
travels through the surface of material. The frequency or phase characteristics of the sensor are
measured to determine the changes in velocity. The simple acoustic wave that can be applied is
Thickness Shear Mode Resonator, TSM due to electrochemical standing waves that are created
by the crystal of the resonator. Its characteristics which withstand harsh environments, stable in
high temperature and have good sensitivity to the surface make it possible to use.

Based on the research from DINF, the capability of sensor systems can be enhanced by
the combination of a few sensor systems called sensor data fusion. The software automatically
selects by this sensor related to the situation. For example, a global positioning system sensor,
DGPS or combined ultrasonic range profile comparisons and odometry data indoors is used for
navigation. Data will be collected by computers connected with a local map to guide the disabled
people to reach the target without loss. While active marking sensor and ultrasonic range sensor
are combined to work as an obstacle detection in different ways. The ultrasonic ranging system
can scan the obstacle at an angle of 20 degree from the way between 2m to 3m. The active
marking system can detect concave obstacles like descending stairs or kerbstone as well as flat
obstacles.

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DECISION MAKING

After identifying and analyzing the problems, we had decided to improve the conventional
and electric wheelchairs nowadays by adding special features in it. Nowadays, it is very
fundamental for amputees to use conventional and electric wheelchairs in order to make them
easier to move around with their disabilities. There are a lot of people complaining that they had
limited movement when they used the conventional wheelchairs.

Somehow, it can be more difficult for the blind amputees as they still need to control the
joystick of electric wheelchairs. Due to this, it might still be hard for them to detect and avoid
their movement from hitting the obstacles nearby them. By including the ultrasonic sensor in the
electric wheelchair, it will surely help them to move around a lot easier and does not need to rely
on other people to facilitate their movement.

This ultrasonic sensor that connected to the electric wheelchair will play a significant role
by detecting the obstacles nearby the users about 1.0 metre away. This sensor is a must because a
wheelchair may be designed not only for those who have the movement problems but also for
those who are sightless or even those who deal with weak sight like senior citizens. The
ultrasonic sensor may help in detecting any obstacles along the way. It is normal for these people
who use normal wheelchairs by themselves to get stuck at certain places due to the unexpected
obstacles along their way. This may cause some injury or small accident or even massive impact
because we can not predict certain upcoming obstacles.

Hence, we can conclude here that this improved feature; ultrasonic sensor in this electric
wheelchair functions to complement the usage of conventional and electric wheelchairs
nowadays as they can identify the surroundings further and better. Then, this ultrasonic sensor
can boost the user to become more independent and confident as they can travel to new places
without the aid of sighted-people. Last but not least, ultrasonic sensors can provide the chance to
move around more at ease and give them the opportunity to explore the world on their own.

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REFERENCES
1. SUNRISE MEDICAL. (2012b, July). De-mystifying Power Wheelchairs: Batteries and
Motors | Sunrise Medical. EDUCATION IN MOTION. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from
https://www.sunrisemedical.ca/education-in-motion/clinical-corner/july-2012/de-mystifyi
ng-power-wheelchairs-batteries-and-motors#:%7E:text=Each%20motor%20operates%20
a%20drive,%2Dpole%20or%20four%2Dpole.

2. st. George, T. (2022, March 18). How Does An Electric Wheelchair Work? |
LITH-TECH. Lith-Tech Mobility. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from
https://lith-tech.com/how-does-an-electric-wheelchair-work/

3. Shenzhen ACE Battery Co.,Ltd. (2021, June 22). The Difference Between Lead-acid
Battery and Lithium Battery for Electric Wheelchair. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from
https://www.acebattery.com/the-difference-between-leadacid-battery-and-lithium-battery
-for-electric-wheelchair.html#:%7E:text=There%20are%20mainly%20two%20types,acid
%20batteries%20and%20lithium%20batteries.

4. Wagner, L. (2022, April 5). Disabled People in the World: Facts and Figures. Inclusive
City Maker. Retrieved April6, 2022, from
https://www.inclusivecitymaker.com/disabled-people-in-the-world-in-2021-facts-and-fig
ures/