• The

    IKROBO

    is an acronym for ‘I Care Robo’, a flexible multifunctional battery based wheelchair that helps physically handicapped people accomplish many of their normal daily activities without much assistance from their caregivers. read more

  • The

    IKROBO

    The IKROBO© is a 3-year research project that includes the following technology divisions at Durham College – Electronics, Mechanical, Bio-medical and Mechatronics.read more

  • The

    IKROBO

    Durham College is working with the local industry, not-for-profit and government organizations to the benefit of the local community.read more

  • The

    IKROBO

    The IKROBO© provides a cost effective solution to individuals at home as well as patients in the hospitals.

  • The

    IKROBO

    George J. Klein (1904 – 1992), a Canadian is credited as the motorized wheelchair inventor. IKROBO project begins where George left in the wheelchair development. IKROBO will become an industry standard in the smart wheelchair category when fully developed

    read more

  • News:

    Patent IP Seminar

    All professors involved in the IKROBO© project will be attending “patentable IP” seminar conducted by Dave Tyrrell from Vertex IP solutions on Wednesday February 26, 2014, 9 am to 1 pm. The seminar is organized by the Office of Research Services & Innovation, Durham College.

    read more

Project Scope:


The I Kare Robo (IKROBO©) is a 3-year research project that includes the following technology divisions at Durham College – Electronics Engineering Technology, Bio-medical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology with the following aims:

1.To create a modern technology based wheelchair that will help improve the mobility of people with disabilities.


a. User can change the mode of mobility with a choice of 3 modes: Chair, bed and walker, with a push of a button.

Bed Position

Walker Position

 

Chair Position

 













b. The chair can be controlled in chair and walker modes with four interfaces:

    1.      Joystick (standard option)

    2.      Voice activated interface

    3.      Eye movement interface

    4.      TouchPad interface


    c. Automatic Navigation Features:

  •      Can be trained to memorize different routes with a closed environment

  •      Follows the predetermined path automatically by avoiding obstacles

  •      911 alert with GPS interface for easy location (by 2016)


    • 2. To monitor health information for creating alerts and record keeping:


    a. Sensors to monitor Physiological signals of the user are built-in on wheelchair:

  •      Body temperature

  •      Heart rate

  •      Blood pressure

  •      Weight

  •      Blood glucose

  •      EEG/ EMG

  •      Surrounding air quality

  •      BMI (calculation)


    • b. Stores captured health data on the Internet cloud or on the internal storage for further analysis by the health care people.

    c. Alerting nursing staff or other caregivers to patient hyperactivity, which may indicate that the patient is experiencing discomfort, but it also detects a lack of activity which may indicate illness or depression.

    d. Medications schedules and appointment reminders (by 2016)

    e. Assist healthcare personnel in safe handling of patients who are unable to move under their own power: (by 2016)

  •      Lifting to and from bed from a wheel chair.

  •      Taking care for the patients’ daily activities.


    • 3. To provide Wheeltainment© (wheel entertainment) through built-in tablet:


    a. Listen text using text to speech interface
    b. Play video games
    c. Watch movies and other Internet entertainment programs
    d. Read news papers

    The above outline is a general guide for the departments to follow however, professors, students from each of the four divisions are encouraged to add on various functions and improve the overall design. This will be done over a period of three years.