Willift
Motorised wheelchair armrest
Phase 1
Type of project: Prototype
Disability concerned: Motor disability
Topics: Leisure, Nutrition, Independence
Status: Completed
A motorised armrest with planar and vertical movement that integrates easily into different living environments.
Willift makes everyday tasks easier for patients with limited mobility in their upper limbs. Williams, one of the members of our team, uses a wheelchair to get around, but he can only drink, eat and smoke with the help of the nursing staff around him. We are developing a technical solution to help him regain his independence: a motorised armrest incorporating planar and vertical movement. Our aim is to offer a prototype that can be integrated easily and in a non-stigmatising way into the patient’s various environments: wheelchair, chair, bed, etc.
Our aim in controlling the motorised armrest is to detect the user’s intention to move using force sensors, enabling an adjustable degree of assistance that adapts to the patient’s abilities, particularly over time (rehabilitation, degenerative diseases, etc.). During this project, we were able to completely rethink our initial prototype, notably with the help of the medical staff supervising Williams, and Williams’ ideas. The new version of the prototype supports more movements in space, with the addition of passive planar movement.
The motorised movement of the armrest has also been modified: instead of rising vertically, the armrest pivots to raise the position of the wrist in relation to the elbow, allowing the hand to reach the face. This new prototype follows movements more naturally, to avoid traumatising the patient’s shoulder and ensure ergonomic movement.
Contact
WILLIFT
Lhoste Clément
clement.lhoste@epfl.ch