FES Cycling Chair for the Lower Limbs Disabled People with Electric Motor Power Assist

The goal of our research is to develop a practicable vehicle for the lower limbs disabled along with improving health, which can be used in their daily life. We developed a vehicle based on a wheelchair, we call it as cycling chair. The cycling chair has two relatively big front wheels linked to the pedals with a mechanical chain to propel it, and a steering wheel at the rear part is controlled with a steering stick by the rider. Two types of controller, PD based and Physical work estimator based, are discussed and tested with a quadriparesis subject. The PD based controller aims at minimizing the electric motor assist in order to maximize the energy efficiency of the total system. And the estimator based one enhances not only the efficiency but optimality of power assistance.