Vehicle With Dynamic Leg Mechanisms For Accessibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicles designed for wheelchair access or for persons with disabilities often face limitations in providing easy access due to height differences and the need for significant clearance, which can be challenging in various environments.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle equipped with retractable and extendable legs that can position the vehicle to reduce height differences, allowing easy access for persons with ambulatory disabilities, and can also elevate to accommodate wheelchairs at different levels such as staircases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional vehicles are designed for wheelchair access, then wheelchair accessibility is improved, but ease of access for persons with ambulatory disabilities deteriorates due to height differences and clearance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle employs dynamically adjustable leg mechanisms that can extend or retract to change the vehicle's height relative to the ground. This dynamic adjustment allows the vehicle to adapt to different access scenarios - extending legs to reduce height difference for persons with ambulatory disabilities while retracting to maintain standard clearance for wheelchair access, thereby resolving the contradiction between these two accessibility requirements
2Ease of operation
If vehicle legs are extended to reduce height difference, then ease of access is improved, but vehicle stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The leg mechanism is divided into multiple segments or joints that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows the vehicle to extend legs for improved access while maintaining stability through controlled positioning of individual segments, using the jointed structure to distribute and manage the mechanical stresses involved in leg extension and vehicle stabilization
3Ease of operation
If vehicle legs are retracted to lower the chassis, then ease of access for persons with ambulatory disabilities is improved, but the vehicle's ability to navigate uneven terrain deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The leg mechanisms are designed with dynamic adjustability, allowing the vehicle to retract legs for improved access to persons with ambulatory disabilities while maintaining the capability to extend them when needed for terrain navigation. The dynamic control system enables the vehicle to adapt its leg position based on the operational context, switching between access mode and terrain navigation mode as required
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a vehicle is provided that comprises: a) a plurality of wheel-leg components wherein one or more of the wheel-leg components provide wheeled locomotion and walking locomotion; and b) the vehicle has one or more extended access components.