Hardware
Wheelchair
A startup project to develop a stair-climbing wheelchair based on the concept of the star wheel.
Overview
Check out how you can use this to navigate stairs.
- Status
- Prototype 3 Under Construction
- You can contribute here
- CAD design, aluminum fabrication, firmware for the ESP32 controller, and test runs with users.
The star wheel
Three wheels are mounted on a swiveling carrier. When the wheelchair encounters a step, the carrier swivels, and the next wheel touches the step. This allows the wheelchair to stand on the step. The concept is already well-known for applications of this kind, such as transporting patients or wheelchairs. However, these are usually intended to be assistive. We are attempting to develop a completely autonomous version that climbs steps without external assistance.
In the past
Star wheels weren't our first idea. In the past, we experimented with variable wheels. Ironically, these were very inflexible for use outside of climbing stairs. In general, the fact that operating the wheel segments was either very slow or required a lot of effort led us to put this chapter behind us.
Everyday obstacles
Whether it's stairs or curbs, obstacles vary from person to person. That's why we're trying to develop a wheelchair that can tackle as many challenges as possible. After all, it's not the standardized stairs that pose the problem.
From concept to prototype
What looks like a simple solution on paper can quickly turn out to be a bigger challenge than expected. With our first two prototypes, we proved that we can build mobile machines capable of climbing stairs in the lab. However, these machines have repeatedly failed due to environmental conditions such as wet surfaces. With our new prototypes, we are currently working to lay a solid foundation for future development, particularly in the area of automated stair climbing.
Wheelchair
Videos
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Climbing stairs
Tilted path
Driving over steps
Seat assembly