Designed the electronics for a wheelchair that looks just like a standard wheelchair but takes much less effort to operate.

Context

People confined to a wheelchair are required to have significant strength to operate a standard wheelchair. Even with a strong operator some hills and terrain are inaccessible without the use of a very expensive and bulky “power” wheelchair.

A power assist wheelchair does to wheelchairs what power steering does for automobiles. The user has the same experience as before, with much less effort.

Solution

The founders of the client company were quite able in the mechanical design of the product but needed a group to handle their electronics design. BCA designed electronics to implement the customer’s patented power assist technology. The design included complex three phase motor control as well as overall algorithm development.

Wheelchairs of this type are regulated by the FDA. We designed and tested the device to ensure it was compliant with the IEC 60601 Medical Electrical Equipment Standard. A particular wheelchair standard for power wheelchairs (the ISO 7176 wheelchair standard) was also used to prove that the device was safe and effective. The hazards analysis, design, and testing documentation created by BCA was submitted to the FDA and received approval.