Welcome to our Project website!
This website is our official entry to the 2006-2007 National Student Design Competition sponsored by RERC AMI.
You can find more information about this competition by clicking on the link. We are the Accessible Power-Assist Hospital Bed Back Angle Controller team.
Overview
Problem: Powered hospital beds often use open-loop controls to set the back angle, which typically moves at a constant slow velocity while an operator presses a momentary contact switch. The concept of extended physiologic proprioception (EPP) suggests that users might benefit from a more intuitive approach of manually grasping a handle on the side of the upper portion and using force-assist concepts to set the back angle (maybe with the assistance of anti-gravity mechanisms), in which motion speed increases with the amount of force applied to the handle.
Aim: Design a reliable, easy-to-use, EPP-based power-assist back angle controller for a prototype platform (or hospital bed or exam table).
Specs:The operating handle should be mounted on side edge of the bed frame, and easy for a caregiver to reach and grasp. The weight of the back of a patient on the bed will range up to 180 lbs (45% of a 400-lb patient). Operator force will vary normally, in the range from 1 to 20 lbs, but with a caregiver capable of only 5 lbs able to fully operate it (but then at lower speeds). The bed must be stable during and after adjustment, and safe if power is lost.
Reference: RERC-AMI Student competition home page