The Remote Controlled Tricycle: A Wirelessly Controlled Tricycle That Handicapped and Mentally Challenged Patients Can Use
By Dagher, Emile; Fairchild, John; NSF 2008 Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons With Disabilities, pp. 214-215Publication Date: 2011
Description of a motorized tricycle that can be remote controlled by a caregiver. The tricycle was developed for a hospital patient with physical and mental disabilities that prevented her from operating her tricycle independently. This necessitated being pushed around by her nurse, who suffered back pain as a result. The major parts controlling the tricycle are a motor, a remote control, and a receiver. Easy to use integrated circuits along with a basic stamp microcontroller and power relays make the design simple to operate. The remote control uses switches and push buttons to send data. Data are encoded and converted into serial data, which then get amplified and modulated at 434 MegaHerz. The data signal is then transmitted to the receiver. At the receiver, the radio frequency signal is demodulated and decoded into 4 parallel data lines. Data are then processed by the microcontroller, which controls relays, brakes, and the movement of the tricycle. The caregiver uses the remote to control the forward and backward movement of the tricycle, which can also be stopped by the click of a button on the remote. When the tricycle moves, the patient pedals along, thus training her muscles and developing more power in her legs. The remote controlled tricycle was designed by an engineering student at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
Published by: Creative Learning Press, Inc. (Website:http://www.creativelearningpress.com)
Link to text: http://nsf-pad.bme.uconn.edu/2008/Chapter%2012,%20University%20of%20Massachusetts%20Lowell.pdf
ISBN: ISBN 1-931280-15-0
