January 11, 2019
Every year fires strike different parts of the world. When I think of the devastating consequences that happen to a common man, I wonder how a differently abled individual would manage to survive or escape from the ruthless fire accidents. Thinking on a larger scale, there are millions of vulnerable, physically challenged individuals who use wheel-chair and are dependent on other individuals, ramps and elevators for their mobility. Construction of wheelchair ramp is no easy task.
Besides, providing ramps to all floors of the high rise buildings practically is difficult and will take a great deal of space. This makes the wheel-chair users dependant on elevators. But elevators cannot be used in times of fire or disaster making the differently abled dependant on others for their safety and security. More than one person is needed to lift or move a paraplegic which can be extremely difficult risking the life of the rescuers as well. Besides, it could be dangerous to the well- being of the victim because of pain and restricted movements.
All these problems can make the emergency situation even worse. So, I started researching and realized that there were evacuation chairs, but these too needed rescuers to assist them. With these things in mind, I spent hours trying to make a robotic model that would meet the requirements of the differently abled. Driven by my passion, I worked with imagination and believed in myself. By using robotics, I came up with a Staircase Climbing Smart Wheelchair that will help the individual using wheelchair of diverse range of ages to gain access to any entrance. It is suitable for all sorts of buildings, even those which do not have ramps. The human assistance is also not needed as it can be operated by remote control.
The Staircase Climber Wheelchair can climb any number of floors and is powered by electricity or solar energy. The speed can be adjusted as per the need of the user. The front and rear wheels are connected to the gear systems and suitable for 360 degree rotation. Also, an additional feature is that when the fire alarm rings , the built- in sound trigger will get activated , which will in turn activate the wheel-chair automatically, directing the individual who uses the wheelchair to the nearest emergency door exit. Adaptation of my Staircase Climbing Smart Wheel- chair can help the differently abled and give them a dignified, independent, safe and secure life.