Samueli School of Engineering

Background:   The reason for the MPOWRD 2.0 project, or Mechanical Patient Operated Wheelchair Rehabilitation Device, is to provide third-world countries a modified wheelchair that would help coincide with patients that have suffered a stroke or with muscular dystrophies.  This project entails designing and manufacturing of a cost-effective, lever-actuator wheelchair so that these patients can operate the wheelchair in a manner that provides rehabilitation, but also allows for ease of mobility for transportation needs.  The motivation for developing and manufacturing this wheelchair at low-cost is to allow countries with little money contributed to healthcare to be able to provide rehabilitation for their stroke patients.  Rehabilitation in the early stages after a stroke are key to gaining and restoring motor function back into affected side of the body because if patients are not provided proper physical therapy or rehabilitation, they start to neglect their disabled parts of their body.