Strength testing and analysis of the Freewheeler wheelchair.

The Freewheeler wheelchair was developed at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability for severely disabled individuals who require dependent mobility wheelchairs. In order to be certified for the public market, the wheelchair must pass a series of static, impact, and fatigue strength tests. Our goal was to determine the validity of the chair design and recommend possible action to prepare it for certification. First we designed a beam model of the Freewheeler using the finite element program Algor. Using this model, we conducted nine static and impact tests analytically. We then verified these tests experimentally using strain gages with the TTi Vips data-gathering application. Finally, we generated a list of critical stress areas. These results and recommendations provided critical information for the manufacturer and Hospital staff