SBIR Phase I: A portable, powered lift to instantly increase independence of all manual wheelchair users

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the increased independence, productivity, and quality of life of people who use wheelchairs. This project addresses important national and worldwide challenges related to the mobility of people who use wheelchairs (4 million in the US alone), which is continuously jeopardized by many daily challenges. Through the development of an affordable and ready-to-use aftermarket accessory capable of increasing the height of manual wheelchairs, the project is oriented towards a more equal, inclusive, and accessible society. The proposed technology will dramatically boost the self-confidence of people who use wheelchairs by enabling face-to-face conversations and improving their productivity at work. It will increase their independence by allowing them to reach surfaces and spaces that were previously out of their reach. At the same time, the new solution will reduce injuries resulting from tips and falls due to unsafe reaching from their wheelchair. Users will save costs associated with injuries and expensive home retrofits. Finally, the proposed technology will represent a huge opportunity for employers because of increased productivity for their workers with disabilities and dramatically reduced costs adapting the work environment and providing "reasonable accommodations", as required by law. The proposed project seeks to explore the feasibility of solving height-related problems among all people who use manual wheelchairs with an electronic and affordable device that can be retrofitted on all standard ultralight wheelchairs, balancing crucial factors such as weight, height of lift, and ease of operation. The proposed Phase I activities will generate the first functioning prototype capable of serving as a proof-of-concept for testing and future commercialization. Engineering efforts will be first dedicated to the selection and integration of hardware components and to the development and deployment of the device control software. A sensor-based control scheme will be implemented to enable a safe, smooth, and fast lift experience. Once the hardware is assembled and the firmware is deployed, the new device will be tested in laboratory settings to ensure that, when it is attached to a standard wheelchair, it does not alter the wheelchair's stability. This is an essential prerequisite not only for future FDA approval, but also to make the device ready for future testing (Phase II) with volunteers and, more generally, to enable its commercialization as a universal aftermarket accessory. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.