Innovative one-arm operable wheelchair attachment: enhancing mobility for hemiplegic and triplegic users

Hemiplegic individuals often face significant challenges in operating standard manual wheelchairs due to their condition, which restricts the use of one side of the body. Addressing this gap, this paper presents a novel wheelchair attachment that enables single-arm operation, enhancing mobility and independence. Developed through a systematic engineering design process, this research involved the identification of critical user requirements - usability, flexibility, portability, adaptability, affordability, and safety. These considerations guided the design and iterative prototyping of multiple models, leading to the selection and extensive testing of a final design. The results demonstrate that the optimised prototype not only significantly improves task efficiency and accuracy for wheelchair users but also provides substantial benefits to hemiplegic/triplegic individuals, allowing them to perform activities that were previously difficult. Highlighting the potential for patentability and marketability, this invention stands as a significant advancement in assistive technology, promising to transform the accessibility landscape for disabled individuals.