Dynamics Of An Articulated Towboat

It is considerable the number of research around the subject of motorization of conventional manual wheechairs, however the found models don't take care of the real necessities of the wheelchair users. In the manufacture the necessity of an independent vehicle for the load transport exists. With the increasing necessity in Brazil to develop the knowledge in the area of independent vehicles and not being still available a towboat of tests adjusted to approach such problems. The articulated towboat is an intelligent independent vehicle to tow loads. The users of conventional manual wheelchairs will go to use this vehicle when to need motorization, that is in ascent cases, descending of ramps, or long distances. This vehicle possesss practical applications that they can assist systems of support to the rehabilitation of physical and motor deficiencies and also systems automatized of manufacture. The purpose of this paper is to develop some important contribution in the area of independent vehicles in the aid for the people with special needs. Copyright © 2004 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.Alvarenga, F.B., Dedini, F.G., Analysis of the possibilities of the Conventional Wheelchairs Motorization (2001) Proceedings of COBEM 2001- XVI Brazilian Congress on Mechanical Engineering, , Uberlândia -MG, Brasil, Nov. 26-30Alvarenga, F.B., (2002) Desenvolvimento de Sistemas de Motorização Alternativa Para Cadeiras de Rodas Convencionais, p. 192. , Máster Thesis Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Unicamp, Campinas,SP, BrazilHaubenwallner, G., (1988) Drive Motor, Which is Supplied by an Energy Source, for Disk-Shaped or Wheel-Shaped Members with a Control Mechanism, , US 4,773,495, September 27Dudley, F.E.A., (1975) Motorized Wheel, , US 3,908,776, September 30Brudermann, (1984) Chassis for Invalid Wheelchairs, , US 4,436,320, March 13Jones, G.C., (1990) Kit for Converting a Hand-Powered Wheelchair to an Electric Motor-Power Wheelchair, , US 4,961,473, October 9Iii, G., (1992) Wheelchair Drive Assembly, , US 5,161,630, November 10Alvarenga, F.B., Dedini, F.G., Development of systems of alternative motorization for conventional wheelchairs SAE Technical Paper Series, 2003-01-3563-E, pp. 1-10. , Danvers, MA(1985) Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas, NBR 9050, , Adequação das edificações e do mobiliário urbano à pessoa deficiente. Rio de JaneiroJarosz, E., Determination of the workspace of wheelchair users (1996) International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 17 (2), pp. 123-133. , DOI 10.1016/0169-8141(95)00044-5Fisette, P., Ferriere, L., Raucent, B., Vaneghem, B., Multibody approach for modelling universal wheels of mobile robots (2000) Mechanism and Machine Theory, 35 (3), pp. 329-351. , DOI 10.1016/S0094-114X(99)00017-8Campion, G., Bastin, G., D'Andrea-Novel, B., Structural properties and classification of kinematic and dynamic models of wheeled mobile robots (1996) IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 12 (1), pp. 47-62. , PII S1042296X96004976Sasi, S., High mobility platform (2002) Technical Report of Department of Mechanical Engineering, , Adoo