Kinematic Analysis, Evaluation and Development of a New Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic Arm

Kinematic Analysis, Evaluation and Development of a New Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic Arm

  This paper addresses kinematic analysis, evaluation and development of a wheelchair mounted robotic arm (WMRA). It addresses the kinematics of the WMRA with respect to its ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). The procedure for kinematic analysis is applied to two commercial WMRAs. Design recommendations and insights with regard to each device are obtained and used to design a new WMRA to overcome the limitations of these devices. The new modular WMRA design is discussed and it is built to be a platform to further the evaluation of WMRA’s based on different link lengths. This method will benefit the researchers by providing a standardized procedure for kinematic analysis of WMRAs that is capable of evaluating independent designs and customizing the WMRA for specific users or tasks.