| ABSTRACT |
Unimap Mechatronics School was invited to collaborate with USM Medical Faculty, Kubang Krian to improve the life style and quality of stroke patient with low socioeconomic background. Hemiplegic stroke patient will have difficulties to propel current manual wheelchairs because the disability of one of their limb. Current technology include special motorized wheelchair which cost from RM8000. This price made it impossible for the majority of low income stroke patient to obtain. Therefore the patient needs to have caregivers around the clock to assist their every movement. Thus they are effectively totally dependent on others and cause physical and mental stress. We must try to improve their life quality by giving back their freedom. Therefore, this innovation transforms an off the shelf cheap ¿Manual Wheelchair¿ to a "Motorized Wheelchair" by adding add-on drive system. The drive system is basically a house hold 220VAC wall charged battery operated drive system in a box. This box also contained gearing system that contact directly to manual wheelchair. When attached to the manual wheelchair, user use the control system which can be situated to the left or right of the operator, depending on operator health body part, to move the now motorized wheelchair forward or backward ,left or right. This makes the operator move without being assisted and to a certain extent, freedom, and a new path toward rehabilitation.
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