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Scientific Reports volume 14, Article number: 20644 (2024 ) Cite this article automated guided robots
Intelligent nursing wheelchairs significantly enhance mobility and independence for elderly individuals with disabilities. However, traditional designs often suffer from large turning radii that restrict their functionality in confined spaces. Addressing this critical challenge, this study introduces an innovative design utilizing a Mecanum wheel chassis that allows for omnidirectional movement, significantly improving maneuverability and stability. Our design incorporates independently controlled Mecanum wheels, overcoming traditional constraints and enhancing user autonomy. To address issues such as wheel spacing variations and hub center tilting, which can lead to slipping and inaccurate motion control, we developed a novel suspension system that stabilizes the chassis, minimizes slipping risks, and boosts motion control accuracy. Experimental validations, including shock absorption and positioning tests, demonstrate that our suspension system markedly enhances the wheelchair's control performance and stability, thereby providing users with enhanced precision and potentially improving their quality of life.
In the past few decades, it has been observed that the health issues faced by elderly individuals in long-term care have become increasingly complex1. Elderly individuals typically suffer from multiple diseases simultaneously2, leading to the need for assistance in various daily activities, particularly in walking and transferring3,4. As a crucial assistive device in the field of rehabilitation, smart wheelchairs not only provide self-care independence for elderly individuals with mobility challenges but also enhance their quality of life. According to the World Health Organization, the effective integration of innovative technologies in wheelchairs is essential for enhancing the mobility and autonomy of disabled individuals5,6. With the escalating global aging population issue, the demand for nursing wheelchairs is gradually rising7,8,9. Although nursing wheelchairs play a pivotal role in providing mobility and rehabilitation support, their maneuverability and positioning capabilities have been a key challenge10. Traditional nursing wheelchairs typically employ rear-wheel or front-wheel drive systems11,12, limiting their maneuverability and requiring larger turning radii. This restricts the usage of nursing wheelchairs in confined environments such as hospitals, nursing homes, and households. Users often face difficulties in operating the wheelchair in narrow spaces, especially when quick turns or navigating through complex obstacles are required13,14. To further illustrate the advantages of Mecanum wheelchairs over traditional differential drive wheelchairs, it is essential to highlight the operational challenges posed by the latter. Differential drive wheelchairs, which rely on varying wheel speeds for steering and navigation, often require frequent repositioning to adjust the gap between the wheelchair and another surface, such as a bed or sofa, to ensure safe transfers. This frequent adjustment can be cumbersome and physically demanding for users, particularly for the elderly who may lack the strength and agility to maneuver the wheelchair precisely. In contrast, the lateral movement capability of Mecanum wheelchairs simplifies this process. By enabling side-to-side movement without the need to rotate the chair, Mecanum wheelchairs reduce the need for repeated adjustments, allowing for smoother, more efficient side transfers and enhancing the user's independence and safety.
To address these issues, this study proposes a design of an Mecanum mobile chassis based on Mecanum wheels. By introducing four specially arranged Mecanum wheels, we achieved an Mecanum wheel mobile chassis design, enabling the nursing wheelchair to move freely in any direction and significantly enhancing its maneuverability. This innovative design allows the nursing wheelchair to easily navigate challenges in confined spaces. Despite the substantial improvement in maneuverability brought about by the Mecanum mobile chassis design, it also faces several technical challenges15,16. The unique construction of Mecanum wheels may lead to changes in wheelbase and tilting of the wheel hub center during movement, directly causing issues such as slipping and inaccurate motion control of the nursing wheelchair17. According to the fundamental principles of geometry, three points determine a plane. On uneven surfaces, a four-wheel Mecanum wheel mobile platform is prone to a situation where one wheel loses contact with the ground, further resulting in directional control failure.
In this context, this paper discusses the phenomenon of poor maneuverability of nursing wheelchairs in confined indoor environments and proposes corresponding solutions. The next section will provide a detailed introduction to the design of the Mecanum mobile chassis. The third section conducts a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the Mecanum mobile chassis's independent suspension based on its mechanical model and kinematic simulation. Following this, the fourth section systematically analyzes the control performance and positioning capabilities of the nursing wheelchair through experiments involving mobility, positioning, and vibration tests. The final section summarizes the research findings and presents recommendations for future work.
The objective of this study is to address the limited maneuverability of traditional nursing wheelchairs in confined spaces, a prevalent issue due to their large turning radii. Traditional designs often fail to accommodate the maneuvering requirements essential for enhancing user independence in tight environments18. To overcome these challenges, this study proposes a Mecanum wheel mobile chassis design, equipped with four independently controlled Mecanum wheels, aimed at enabling unrestricted directional movement. Furthermore, an independent suspension system is introduced with the potential to stabilize the chassis and improve motion control, thereby aiming to reduce slippage risks and enhance control precision.
Before delving into the design of the Mecanum wheel mobile chassis, it is essential to understand the characteristics of a mobile chassis composed of Mecanum wheels. As shown in Fig. 1, a Mecanum wheel is constructed from several rollers arranged at a 45-degree angle, forming the wheel. This arrangement means that the frictional force f from the ground experienced by the Mecanum wheel during rolling is not parallel to the direction of travel but is at a 45-degree angle to it, as shown in Fig. 1. For lateral movement, the four correspondingly installed Mecanum wheels must work together to move the chassis in the predetermined direction. This implies that during the movement, the hub shafts of the wheels must not become misaligned. Otherwise, it will lead to a deviation of the mobile chassis, known as Mecanum wheel drift.
Omni-directional mobile chassis moving structure.
Therefore, although the Mecanum wheel mobile chassis offers excellent maneuverability, the unique structure of the Mecanum wheels may lead to the following challenges during motion:
Instability in motion: The movement of Mecanum wheels may cause changes in wheelbase and tilting of the wheel hub center, potentially resulting in instability during the motion of the nursing wheelchair19.
Slippery risk: On uneven terrain or during turns, the instability of the wheels may lead to slippage during the wheelchair's motion20, consequently reducing the precision of wheelchair movement.
Vibration and jolting: Mecanum wheels consist of a special wheel rim and protruding rollers, indicating that collisions or asymmetric movements between wheels may result in the generation of vibrations and jolting16,21.
The small solid columns on the circumference of each omni-wheel have gaps, potentially introducing periodic vibrations to the mobile platform. These irregular movements may be transmitted to the chassis of the nursing wheelchair, causing vibrations and jolts. Historically, omni-wheel mobile platforms were commonly used in AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) applications. To ensure stable operation, prior studies22,23 proposed various suspension structures to maintain continuous contact between the four omni-wheels and the ground. However, these solutions are not applicable to nursing wheelchairs, such as the requirement mentioned later for the wheelchair to dock with a toilet. This necessitates a sufficiently large distance between the two Mecanum wheels.
To address the aforementioned issues, we propose a new type of suspension mechanism, as depicted in Fig. 2. This independent suspension system features a fixed base in an L-shape. Its primary function is to serve not only as a secure attachment to the chassis frame but also as a guiding column within a guiding groove. The guiding column is confined to the guiding groove to ensure its vertical movement. Additionally, guiding bearings are installed at the gap between the L-shaped fixed base and the guiding groove, affixed to the L-shaped fixed base. The purpose of this design is to transform the relative movement between the fixed base and the guiding groove from sliding friction to rolling friction. This modification facilitates smoother relative movement between the chassis frame and the fixed Mecanum wheel along the guiding groove, enhancing the effectiveness of the shock-absorbing springs located between the guiding groove and the fixed base.
Independent suspension structure design. (a) mobIle chassis. (b) Independent suspension mechanism.
This design ensures that the jumping direction of the chassis frame and the omni-wheels remains vertically aligned, effectively addressing issues such as omni-wheel leaning and changes in wheelbase. By adjusting the tension of the shock-absorbing springs, the omni-wheels maintain constant pressure against the ground. This design helps prevent slippage issues that may arise when the nursing wheelchair traverses uneven terrain due to omni-wheels being suspended.
For the mobile chassis designed for nursing wheelchairs, as illustrated in Fig. 3, to meet the requirement of docking with a toilet and assist patients in toileting, we integrated the drive motor and omni-wheels into a single unit. This integration aims to ensure that the distance T between the omni-wheels, placed in parallel, is sufficiently large, providing more space for the bottom of the nursing wheelchair to accommodate different toilet configurations.
Dimensional parameters of the mobile chassis for Mecanum wheel movement.
Additionally, each omni-wheel is equipped with an independent suspension system, restricting the freedom of movement in other directions, The structural parameters of the mobile chassis are shown in Table 1. This design ensures that the jumping direction of the chassis frame and the omni-wheels remains vertically aligned, effectively addressing issues such as omni-wheel leaning and changes in wheelbase. By adjusting the tension of the shock-absorbing springs, the omni-wheels maintain constant pressure against the ground. This design helps prevent slippage issues that may arise when the nursing wheelchair traverses uneven terrain due to omni-wheels being suspended.
As a common tool for indoor nursing assistance, nursing wheelchairs are required to exhibit high maneuverability in confined spaces. To meet this demand, we employ a design featuring four Mecanum wheels, each installed at the corners of the nursing wheelchair's mobile chassis. The core of this design lies in the diagonal arrangement of the Mecanum wheels, enabling each wheel to rotate independently. By precisely controlling the speed and direction of each Mecanum wheel, the nursing wheelchair can achieve forward, backward, leftward, and rightward movements while accomplishing in-place rotations24. The diagonal arrangement of Mecanum wheels allows the wheelchair to effortlessly navigate narrow corridors, avoid obstacles, and even execute turns in extremely confined spaces, providing greater flexibility and convenience.
The mobile chassis mentioned in this paper is illustrated in Fig. 4. To facilitate modifications and flexible adjustments of component positions, the framework of the mobile chassis is constructed using aluminum profiles, with Mecanum wheels equipped with independent suspension devices installed at each of the four corners.
Omni-directional mobile chassis moving structure.
This chapter provides a mechanical model for the suspension system. By establishing an equivalent model of the suspension system, the force analysis under different conditions is examined, offering a theoretical foundation for subsequent experimental validations.
In designing our Mecanum wheel suspension system, we start by considering user-centric factors, such as the average weight of the users, which critically influence the selection of springs and the required stiffness and damping properties. This ensures the suspension system provides both comfort and stability. To further refine our design, we conduct a theoretical analysis focusing on how the user's weight is distributed across each Mecanum wheel. Each suspension component is designed independently, enabling detailed analysis of force on each wheel. This method allows us to accurately assess the impact of these forces on the entire mobile chassis, ensuring the system is optimized for real-world usage.
Each suspension unit operates independently, and its equivalent force diagram is shown in Fig. 5. \({F}_{i}\) represents the reaction force of the ground under different loads, \({G}_{i}\) represents the force of gravity averaged over each suspension, \({f}_{i}\) represents the tension force applied to the shock-absorbing spring, \({H}_{i}\) represents the height of the ground under different loads, and \(L\) is the length of the spring. Assuming the rolling friction coefficient of the Mecanum wheel is \(\mu \) , the elastic modulus of the shock-absorbing spring is \(E\) , and the standard height of the wheelchair chassis is \({H}_{s}\) 。
When the system is in equilibrium, the relationship between \({H}_{i}\) and \({G}_{i}\) can be expressed as follows:
The suspension system is installed at the four corners of the mobile chassis, aiming to ensure that each omni-wheel generates effective friction with the ground. On surfaces of varying smoothness, each omni-wheel applies positive pressure to the ground, effectively addressing the issue of drift in the entire mobile chassis when one omni-wheel spins freely. This, in turn, enhances positioning accuracy.
In the design of the suspension system, the selection of shock absorber spring stiffness and initial deformation is crucial. The choice of these two factors directly determines the magnitude of the contact force between the Mecanum wheel and the ground. Appropriately selected shock absorber springs determine the stability of the chassis and the traction of the Mecanum wheel. This study focuses on the indoor mobility of a nursing wheelchair. As the shown in Table 2, for the indoor motion process, three common indoor floor smoothness levels are considered for the force analysis of the suspension system.
We analyzed the stress on the suspension under different roadside conditions, as shown in Fig. 6. On different levels of ground smoothness, to prevent the occurrence of wheel slip in Mecanum wheels, it is essential to ensure that each independent Mecanum wheel generates sufficient positive pressure on the ground.
Model forces under ground with different flatness.
When analyzing the forces on the shock absorber springs, the minimum positive pressure on the Mecanum wheels should be considered. Therefore, when installing the shock absorber springs, a pre-tension force \(F\) needs to be set. Considering the range of different indoor ground smoothness, it is found that in environments with deep grooves, the pre-tension force \({f}_{2}\) on the spring is minimized. At this point, the pre-tension force of the shock absorber spring should be:
The formula above shows that the chassis height \({H}_{i}\) is related to the load \({G}_{i}\) and the elastic modulus \(E\) of the shock absorber spring. When selecting the spring, it should be chosen based on the standard height \({H}_{s}\) of the wheelchair chassis according to the national standard, and the selection of spring material should be made in consideration of the minimum pre-tension force \({f}_{2}\) of the spring.
The nursing wheelchair, as a crucial caregiving tool in rehabilitation equipment, should also consider its applicability in design25. The nursing wheelchair mentioned in this paper is designed for indoor environments. Therefore, in the simulation analysis, various degrees of uneven ground surfaces were simulated, and the changes in the center of mass of the mobile chassis and the four Mecanum wheels were recorded. The primary objective of our simulations was to evaluate the damping effects of the suspension system on the mobile chassis across various surface conditions. The most direct indicator of the suspension's performance is the z-axis displacement, which vividly demonstrates the system's ability to absorb shocks. To minimize variables and maintain consistency throughout the simulations, the mobile chassis was set to move at a constant speed of 0.5 m/s for simulation testing. This controlled setting allows us to isolate the impact of the suspension system on reducing vibrations and enhancing stability across different terrains. Additionally, one reason for choosing this lower speed is to consider the practical needs in narrow indoor environments. In indoor settings, wheelchairs frequently need to adjust their positions to accommodate narrow or crowded spaces. Operating at higher speeds in such environments could increase bodily swaying during positional adjustments, potentially compromising user safety and comfort. Moreover, when the wheelchair transitions over surfaces of varying heights, higher speeds can also lead to user discomfort and instability, especially when traversing uneven ground. For our speed selection, we also referred to the speed settings in paper26, which similarly used a lower speed to simulate indoor usage, further supporting our choice.
The simulation in this study was conducted in ADAMS, as shown in Fig. 7. Firstly, we established the simulation model for the mobile chassis in ADAMS, with a load of 100 kg on the mobile chassis. The road surface model was configured as shown in Table 3. During the model setup, constraints were defined for each component, and the same rotational speed was applied to each wheel for simulation.
Modeling the mobile chassis in ADAMS.
In Fig. 8, the simulation results demonstrate the capability of the mobile chassis equipped with an independent suspension system as it navigates through various surface conditions, specifically depressed and raised surfaces. Initially, the simulation explores two depths of surface depressions—2.5 mm and 5 mm. It reveals that while the Mecanum wheels’ center of mass undergoes vertical displacement nearly equivalent to these depths, the overall chassis' center of mass experiences a less pronounced shift, roughly half the depth of the depressions. This outcome results from the load redistribution among the wheels, where the ones not entering the depression compensate by bearing most of the suspension's weight, thus adjusting the overall balance and maintaining stability.
Variation of center of mass of mobile chassis and McNamee's wheel for different flatness ground environments.
Subsequently, the simulation assesses the chassis performance over raised surfaces of 2.5 mm and 5 mm heights. Each wheel that encounters a bump reflects a center of mass shift proportional to the bump's height, yet the integrated action of the independent suspension system ensures that the overall center of mass of the suspension remains stable. This minimal shift in the total center of mass despite individual variations underscores the suspension system’s effectiveness in dampening impacts and maintaining the stability of the chassis on uneven terrains.
The simulation tests were specifically designed with surfaces featuring extreme height differences to rigorously evaluate the independent suspension system's damping capabilities. These results confirm the system's significant role in reducing the damping effects on the chassis across surfaces with marked roughness. This approach highlights the suspension system's effectiveness in maintaining performance under severe conditions, ensuring the wheelchair's ability to navigate effectively over rough and uneven terrains encountered in various environments. The focus on these extreme conditions underscores the robustness of the suspension system in enhancing the wheelchair's operational reliability.
The objective of this section is to validate the performance of the wheelchair in indoor navigation scenarios. This involved conducting systematic tests on the wheelchair's linear and rotational movements, as well as its navigation across various surface materials. The experimental outcomes were subsequently subjected to detailed analysis.
First, we conducted repeatability tests on the wheelchair's straight-line movement performance on a marble surface. Motion commands were pre-programmed into the motor control system to facilitate linear movement. The testing scenario and the wheelchair setup are illustrated in the accompanying Fig. 9.
Test environment and equipment. (a) Marble floor and IMU. (b) The nursing wheelchair.
The wheelchair was tested over lateral and straight-line distances of 5 m, 10 m, and 15 m. During the tests, the starting point of the wheelchair was consistently maintained for each type of movement, and deviations between the actual and ideal endpoints of each run were recorded. To ensure the reliability of the data, each type of movement for each distance was tested five times.
The results of these tests are shown in Fig. 10: for straight-line movements, the maximum error of the wheelchair when traveling a distance of 5 m is 1.5 cm, and for lateral movements, the maximum error is slightly higher at 2 cm. With the increase in travel distance, the maximum errors for the wheelchair traveling 5 m and 10 m in straight-line are 5 cm and 6.9 cm, respectively, while for lateral movements, the errors are 6 cm and 8.1 cm, respectively. From the experimental results, we observed that although deviations in the traveled distance do exist, they are considered negligible given the objectives of our experiments and the anticipated usage environment of the wheelchair. Our tests primarily focus on the influence of the wheelchair's structural design on positioning during short-distance maneuvers, defined here as movements within 5 m. Such distances typically encompass typical usage scenarios within indoor environments, such as transitions from one room to another or docking maneuvers between a wheelchair and a bed chair. In these short-range movements, even slight path deviations do not significantly impact the operational performance of the wheelchair or user safety.
Measurement errors for different distances traveled by nursing wheelchairs.
To investigate the phenomenon of slippage in nursing wheelchairs, we conducted experiments on the wheelchair's lateral movement, rotational motion, and straight-line motion, with a motion trajectory of a 3 m × 3 m square, as shown in Fig. 11. The experiment was conducted on a commonly found indoor marble surface. The testing speed was 1.0 m/s. We used a NOKOV camera device to capture the wheelchair's trajectory throughout the entire motion process and recorded it.
Test the wheelchair movement trajectory with the NOKOV camera.
In preparation for the tests, we programmed the wheelchair with a simple trajectory algorithm to control the motors to move along the desired path, intentionally not incorporating any motion feedback sensors to control variables. Additionally, as a comparative validation, we conducted four tests. To ensure that the results were not influenced by other variables, the control program settings and the surface environment were kept consistent. Initially, to verify the impact of no load and load on the Mecanum wheel mobile chassis, we performed tests on the mobile chassis with a suspension system under no load and load conditions, respectively. Subsequently, as a comparison, we also tested the Mecanum wheel mobile chassis without a suspension system under both no load and loaded conditions, with the tests being conducted both unloaded and with a 100 kg load.
The test results, as shown in Fig. 12, indicate that the wheelchair without a suspension system deviates significantly from the ideal trajectory during motion, especially during rotational movements. This deviation, which increases with the extent of rotation, is primarily attributed to the slippage of the Mecanum wheels during rotational motion. In contrast, the trajectory of the wheelchair equipped with a suspension system closely aligns with the theoretical path, demonstrating that the suspension system effectively prevents slippage of the Mecanum wheels on the moving chassis, thereby enhancing the positioning accuracy of the wheelchair.
Additionally, we observed differences in the motion of the wheelchair under loaded and unloaded conditions. A researcher was seated in both the suspended and non-suspended wheelchairs to record trajectory changes. The experimental results reveal that adding load to the non-suspended wheelchair still resulted in a significant deviation from the ideal trajectory, whereas the loaded wheelchair with suspension closely followed the theoretical path. We hypothesize that this occurs because, although adding direct load to a Mecanum wheelchair increases pressure, the uniformity of floor surface prevents the load from uniformly affecting each wheel. With the suspended wheelchair, the addition of load resulted in a trajectory closer to the theoretical path, likely due to the independent suspension's ability to effectively balance the pressure exerted on the Mecanum wheels. We plan to further investigate these hypotheses by testing a hybrid active–passive suspension system to validate these phenomena.
For wheelchair users, the addition of a suspension system to nursing wheelchairs helps reduce the impact and vibration experienced during travel, thereby lowering the potential for injury resulting from vibration27,28. Therefore, we recorded the vertical acceleration values of the wheelchair along the aforementioned test paths using an IMU installed on the wheelchair. We conducted tests on the wheelchair's straight-line motion, lateral motion, and rotational motion on a marble surface, as shown in Fig. 13. The experimental results indicate that, under the effect of independent suspension, the damping effect of the nursing wheelchair is significantly increased compared to the situation without a suspension system.
Vibration testing of nursing wheelchairs, equipped with and without suspension devices, conducted on a marble surface.
Further analysis of the test data was conducted to compare the vibration conditions of wheelchairs with and without suspension systems under various motion patterns, employing the data processing method outlined in paper29. As shown in Fig. 14, resulting graphs clearly demonstrate enhanced stability and comfort in wheelchairs equipped with suspension systems, across all tested motion patterns. The maximum RMS value during operation was 0.38 m/s2, significantly lower than the ISO 2631-1 standard30,31 recommended comfort threshold of 1.6 m/s2. Similarly, the maximum VDV was 3.65 m/s1.75 well within the comfort definition of less than 9.0 m/s1.75, These findings further validate the suspension system's efficacy in aligning with established standards for comfortable wheelchair seating.
RMS and VDV Values Across Different Modes of Motion.
Finally, we tested the wheelchair's performance on different surfaces. The test scenario, as shown in Fig. 15, mainly consisted of a wool carpet and a leather carpet, joined by a transition strip that was 2.5 mm high and 25 mm wide, seamlessly integrating the two types of flooring. In this real-world scenario test, we set the wheelchair to operate at the same low speed of 0.5 m/s as used in the previous simulation environment. Similarly, to assess the impact of the independent suspension on the wheelchair's performance across different surfaces, we conducted tests on vibration conditions as well as comfort and stability analysis with and without suspension under the same 100 kg load.
In our experiments, as shown in Fig. 16, we found that wheelchairs equipped with a suspension system demonstrated significant vibration damping effects on various ground conditions and when passing over obstacles. This suspension mechanism effectively absorbs and disperses the impact forces transmitted from the ground, thereby reducing the vibration impact on users. Furthermore, to better explain the stability and comfort of the wheelchair, we analyzed the vibration data for RMS and VDV values. The results, as shown in Fig. 17, indicated that the maximum RMS value was 0.61 m/s2 and the maximum VDV value was 5.56 m/s1.75, both of which are within the comfort range defined by ISO 2631-1 for wheelchair operation.
Vibration testing of wheelchairs with and without suspension systems on different road surfaces and surfaces with transition strips.
Analysis of the stability and comfort of the wheelchair on surfaces of varying roughness.
This study successfully developed a Mecanum wheel-based intelligent nursing wheelchair mobility chassis, significantly enhancing maneuverability in confined spaces through the introduction of an independent suspension system. Theoretical analysis and dynamic simulations revealed the effectiveness of the suspension system in improving the dynamic responses of the wheelchair and adapting to different road conditions. Experimental validation demonstrated that this suspension system effectively reduces vibration and slippage during movement, enhancing precision and safety in operation. Importantly, the design of the Mecanum wheels used in this study allows for lateral movement and on-the-spot rotation, greatly enhancing the wheelchair's flexibility in complex environments. Additionally, the experimental results confirm that the independent suspension system maintains stability and comfort under different loading conditions, further advancing the practical application of intelligent nursing wheelchair technology.
For future research, we plan to develop a hybrid active–passive control suspension system to explore the effects of drift during rotational movements of the Mecanum wheel mobility chassis. Through this hybrid control system, we aim to further optimize the dynamic performance and operational stability of the wheelchair, providing an effective technical solution to address potential drift issues caused by Mecanum wheels.
The findings of this study not only provide a new technical path for the design and manufacturing of nursing wheelchairs but also offer valuable insights for the future development of intelligent rehabilitation devices.
All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.
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This statement recognizes the support of the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and mentions that the research was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China, under grant number 2022YFC3601400.
University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
Zhang Zhewen, Yu Hongliu, Wu Chengjia, Huang Pu & Wu Jiangui
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Z.Z. assisted in designing the search strategy, conducted the search, screened the papers, conducted the thematic analysis, and wrote the manuscript. H.Y. led the design of the search strategy and the methods. P X. and J.W were the second and third authors involved in conducted the thematic analysis. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
The authors declare no competing interests.
This study was approved by the institutional review board of the school of public health at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. All participants provided written informed consent about the study. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.
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Zhewen, Z., Hongliu, Y., Chengjia, W. et al. A comprehensive study on Mecanum wheel-based mobility and suspension solutions for intelligent nursing wheelchairs. Sci Rep 14, 20644 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-71459-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-71459-3
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