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A university research team and a transport equipment maker in Osaka Prefecture have jointly developed a foot pedal-driven wheelchair that can also be used as a training tool for elderly people with difficulty walking.
The product is a brainchild of Prof. Junichi Kurata at Kansai University’s Faculty of Engineering Science. Kurata had been struggling to realize his idea for such a chair, which he came up with about 10 years ago, because his initial creation could not be folded like a typical wheelchair.
Okudaya Giken Co. provided its hydraulic pump manufacturing and other technology for the new wheelchair’s development. The university in Suita and the company in Sakai devoted three years to commercializing it.
The heels of the new wheelchair’s pedals can move straight up and down. Hydraulic cylinders are attached to the pedals and wheels’ tires so that water is pumped through tubes to the tires by pedaling. This can be effective in strengthening the user’s calf muscles.
To enhance the effect of training, the hydraulic pressure can be adjusted among three levels, and the physical strength needed to pedal is controlled by a switch. Just like an ordinary wheelchair, a handle is installed on each tire to change direction, so users can control the wheelchair manually as well.
A newly developed wheelchair that can be operated by its foot pedals Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun
About 10 years ago, Kurata acquired a patent for his creation of a foot pedal-driven wheelchair, which he developed by combining multiple gears to control its movement.
However, the gears were mounted between the tires, making it impossible to fold the wheelchair. When Kurata introduced that model at such events as welfare product exhibitions, he was asked to make some improvements for convenience.
In 2008, Kansai University and the Sakai municipal government concluded a partnership deal for fields such as industrial promotion, and an official of the university in charge introduced Okudaya to the professor. In October 2013, they began working together to develop an improved type of foot pedal-driven wheelchair.
To make the wheelchair foldable, they utilized the company’s technology to adopt hydraulic pumps instead of using many gears. Since hydraulics require water, the developer team switched the material of the parts from iron to resin to resist rust.
The Sakai government subsidized part of the development cost, with the commercialization of the product eventually realized under the industry-academia-local government cooperation.
The new wheelchair is expected to be used at hospitals and welfare facilities. A trial run was conducted at facilities in Minoo and Habikino, both in the prefecture, where users gave positive feedback such as “[Training with the wheelchair involves] no risk of falling, unlike using a walker.”
Kurata said, “In a wheelchair, even those who have difficulty walking can move forward with just a little physical strength. I suppose it encourages users to continue their training.”
(The Japan News)
