The Pediatric Adjustable Lightweight Modular (PALM) wheelchair project consisted of three design iterations, full-scale working prototypes, durability testing and user evaluation, and technology transfer activities. User input was crucial to developing design requirements. A handful of concepts developed for this design are novel in the wheelchair market and potentially beneficial to pediatric wheelchair users and their caregivers. Some of the concepts could be applied to other wheelchair designs in the future, including adult tilt-in-space wheelchairs and seating for both adults and children.
The PALMs primary construction consists of modular plastic injection molded components and straight tubes. This feature allows it to be easily customized on site by a therapist who can swap components and make adjustments. The modular design also allows it to be packed more compactly thereby decreasing manufacturing and shipping costs. Second, the tilt-in-space mechanism utilizes a unique four-bar linkage design that decreases the need for small moving parts such as rollers and spring loaded mechanisms used in other tilt-in-space center-of-gravity chairs. Third, the PALMs modular design allows for greater flexibility in the configuration of the wheelchair and adaptation to different-sized bodies. Fourth, the PALM is highly adjustable and selectable: The seat depth, seat width, back rest height, back rest angle, leg rest angle, footrest angle, seat-to-floor height, and axle position are all adjustable. Finally, the PALM converts from an attendant-style wheelchair to a self-propelled wheelchair. These features create a variety of characteristics that clearly distinguish the PALM from other currently available pediatric wheelchairs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-07312007-152721 |
| Date | 12 September 2007 |
| Creators | Zipfel, Emily |
| Contributors | David Boninger, Rosemarie Cooper, Rory A. Cooper |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-07312007-152721/ |
| Rights | restricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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