VietNamNet Bridge - A special multifunctional wheelchair has been introduced which can switch from a chair to bed, especially suitable for the elderly and disabled.

The wheelchair-bed was created by lecturers at the Mechanical Engineering Faculty of the Phu Yen Vocational College.

Nguyen Tan Tung, a member of the group of inventors, said it took them two months to create the wheelchair. 

When Tung had to look after one of his relatives at hospital, he realized that the biggest problem of patients suffering from multiple injuries was the difficulty to move to rooms to have surgery, X-rays and ultrasound, or to move to another bed. 

Tung decided to create a wheelchair with new functions at a low cost.

A control unit is attached to the wheelchair for patients to regulate the chair manually. The chair can switch into a bed after patients make simple operations.

The wheelchair can recline by 90 degrees, raised or lowered as wanted, which allows patients to feel comfortable both lying and sitting.

The engine of the wheelchair is powered by two batteries. Electricity from batteries is provided to the backrest, chair lift and footrest lift units. 

According to Tung, the electrical circuits comprise small modules, each of which bears its own function. The batteries can provide power for the wheelchair to move 15-20 kilometers. 

To regulate the wheelchair, users just need to press the buttons on the control board. 

According to Pham Hung Anh, a member of the group, the wheelchair is 1.1 meters long, 0.68 meters wide and 1.31 meters high. It weighs 70 kilos. 

The machine is designed to be able to run at the speed of six kilometers per hour at maximum and go up a slope.

A big advantage is that it has very simple design. If the buttons on the control board have problems, they can be easily fixed or replaced.

Tung and his fellow workers at first could not find Important parts in Phu Yen province. They had to buy old components and alter the components to fit the machine. 

Another advantage of the wheelchair that it is cheaper than products of the same kind in the market. While a similar wheelchair with fewer uses is sold at VND50 million, the special wheelchair is priced at VND18 million.

Dan Viet