USER-CENTERED ERGONOMIC REDESIGN OF A SMART WHEELCHAIR FOR ASSISTIVE MOBILITY ENHANCEMENT

Abstract

Smart wheelchairs increasingly support independent mobility, yet many designs still underperform in ergonomic comfort and stability, particularly on sloped surfaces. A key problem is that prior studies often rely on conventional HOQ prioritisation or isolated ergonomic fixes without explicitly controlling functional coupling among safety, comfort, and speed-control functions. This leads to weak traceability from user requirements to technical parameters and limits concurrent optimisation of safety and comfort. This study presents a user-centred ergonomic redesign by integrating the House of Quality (HOQ) with Axiomatic Design (AD) to form an Axiomatic House of Quality (AHOQ). Data were collected using ENASE-based questionnaires (Effective, Comfortable, Safe, Healthy, Efficient). Customer attributes were weighted in HOQ and translated into functional requirements and design parameters through an FR–DP matrix guided by the Independence Axiom, under ISO 7176-5 limits and Indonesian anthropometric constraints. The proposed concept prioritises incline sensing and warnings, rollback prevention via automatic braking and parking lock, seat-balance support, adjustable armrests and footrests, and accessible storage. Benchmarking against commercial products indicates improved incline safety, seating comfort, and modular upgradability, demonstrating a practical and traceable pathway for assistive mobility device development.