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SMART STAIR LIFT FOR DISABLED AND ELDERLY

Article  in  International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics · June 2018

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
Volume 120 No. 6 2018, 4647-4660
ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version)
url: http://www.acadpubl.eu/hub/
Special Issue
http://www.acadpubl.eu/hub/

SMART STAIR LIFT FOR DISABLED

AND ELDERLY
K.Navya, B.Pavan Kumar,
G.Hema Mounika, B.Vineeth,
K Prabhakara Rao, I A Pasha
Electronics and
communication Engineering,
B.V.Raju Institute of technology
Narsapur, Medak- 502313,
India
prabhakar.kapula@gmail.com

May 23, 2018

Abstract
The main objective of this project is to develop an
indoor as well as outdoor stair lift. A stair lift is a chair
that glides up and down a staircase on a motorized rail.
While going up and down the stairs safety is the primary
concern, the present day, top quality lifts include many
features to maximize comfort, ease of use and
attractiveness in the home, which is a safe and affordable
solution to overcome the unique needs and challenges that
people experience on the stairs. Stair lift, the mobile
chair-like mobility device attached on one side of
stairways, allows to improve access for aged between floors
at homes, and to make many people with mobility
problems live independently through the internet of things.
Hence, we are designing a single rail stair elevator to
reduce production costs as well as construction time that
is required in case of escalators and elevators.

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

Key Words:Motorized rail, the comfort, mobile chair,

mobility , the internet of things .

1 Introduction
Advancements in technology made disabled people to lead an
independent life and play a more productive role in society.
Stairways into buildings present a significant environmental
barrier for those with mobility impairments, including older
adults. A number of home access solutions that allow users to
safely enter and exit the home exist, however these all have some
limitations. The purpose of this work was to develop a novel, an
inclusive home access solution that integrates a staircase and a lift
into one device [1].

The Excel stairway lift system will be installed in order to give

people the independence needed to move around their home. The
use of two individual stairway lift systems ensures that she can
easily move from level to level. A handle placed in between the
two stairway lift systems, which will allow them to move from one
chair to the other [2]. A novel remote centre mechanism was
proposed where in a wheelchair can glide along the stairs. In this
system, the angle of the seat on the attitude of the chair changes
along the angle of inclination of the user irrelevant of the angle of
the wheelchair. An attitude sensor along with a relatively small
actuator used, this minimal degree of active control made
possible. Usually we find that people neither can drive
wheelchairs properly at cross muddy patches nor uneven terrain.
Similar is in the case of stair where one approach is use of legs.
Advances in robotics have made it possible to build and control
machines in every way possible. It is not difficult to build a
wheelchair with legs that can climb slopes, step over obstacles,
which run along stairs. In 1987 a four legged chair developed by
the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Veterans
Administration Hines Rehabilitation Research and Development
Centre based on research in quadruped walking was developed.
This invention could sustain a weight of around 110 kg. In
addition, has a capacity of carrying a payload of 113.6 kg [3].

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

In October 1998, a prototype incorporating a computer

controlled pantographic legs and with a simple linear gait walked
in the laboratory. However, it did not carry a passenger, and it
was using a stationary controller containing complex design. It is
due to the legs that a person had to sit in stable position without
any movement, which is not very comfortable in many cases. Even
there are safety issues concerned with the system. In wheeled
systems, the wheels passively support the chair and do not require
any control electronics nor needs any maintenance of system.
Because of the complexity of the system, safety is a natural
concern lack of which people do not opt for this mechanism [4].

A staircase can make climbing of stairs for aged and physically

handicapped a breezy affair. This led to use of smart stair lift in
Kerala. This stair lift has a rail of 12 meters attached on one side
of stair was and has a battery which gives continuous 24V DC
current. This system though being most advanced costs up to
0.3million along with maintenance for period of six months and
includes installation costs [5].

Elevators have powered electric motors that can drive either

traction cables or counterweight systems. Because of the
wheelchair access laws and constraints like power consumption,
and limited access, occupying large area [6]. There is a rule made
for shopping malls and few multi-storeyed buildings to have
elevator or escalator to aid people with disabilities. Stair lift is a
mechanical device for lifting people or wheelchairs up and down
stairs accordingly, implemented at both sufficiently wide stairs
and narrow staircases. A chair attached to the rail for a person to
sit [7]. A person on the chair moves along the rail with the help of
motorized rail. Stair lifts also known with various names as stair
lifts, stair-lifts, chair lifts, stair gliders. There should not be any
confusion between chair lift and the lift used by skiers. Smart
staircase is a type of lift mounted on the staircase without any
modification in civil structures. This smart staircase offcourse
runs on electric power, which may be AC or DC and consists of a
motor two rails a sliding chair. The actual size of the smart
staircase acting as a lift will depend on length of staircase and can

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

be assembled, and mounted accordingly as per convenience and

disassembled easily with little efforts. Lifts are invented long back,
then came escalators both being implemented indoor gave rise to
mobility problem for physically handicapped and aged who have a
habit of moving outdoor. But, installation of lift involves ample
amount of time and cost for rails, motor honk, civil structures [8].

For the installation of lifts in the stalk, structure cost is too

high and it even depends on usage of lift. To overcome these
factors like cost of implementation and cost of civil construction,
the concept of stair case lift come with advantages over traditional
elevators and escalator. The reduced extra costing associated with
the lift mechanism, and with the fact that implementation of the
system is possible even outdoor. A lift is an essential platform
that is either pulls up or pushes down with the help of mechanical
structure. The modern day lift when consists of a cab mounted
within a closed space. In the past, lift driving principle was based
on steam generated power or water hydraulic pistons, which on
advancement became simpler as discussed earlier [11].

The respective advantages and disadvantages of different types

of electric-powered wheelchairs, elevators, and escalators outlined
for an overall comparison of the control method using user
friendly methods, cost of mechanical manufacture and structure,
power consumption, and adaptability to different stairs; we
proposed our Smart staircase system with few smart features [10].

The sensor used in this system for implementation of

automation is force resistive sensor with specification of FSR406.
On study of its behaviour, it understood that the aggregations of
readings from all the individual force sensors are to take required
action [13]. This sensor arranged at smart positions in order to
take appropriate action when the person sits on the chair
comfortably. This FSR406 has a required active area to sense the
force acting when a man sits on the chair. More advanced system
could be in practise with very small modification of use of certain
ultrasonic sensors for detection of obstacle in any case. By
arranging four ultrasonic sensors at the footrest and armrest,
forthcoming person or object detected and the device stopped for

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

few seconds until obstacle is out of the way.

There exists few models such as escalators and elevators, used

to go up and down the stairs but these, are not explicitly for the
physically handicapped. For an instance, a physically
handicapped cannot use the escalator the only option available to
him/her is the use of the elevator. There also exist scenarios
where both elevators and escalators cannot be used due to
limitations in architecture. The drawbacks in the existing systems
are:

1. Elevators occupy more space. Therefore, implementation in

places where sufficient space is not available becomes tough.
2. The existing systems consume more power for operation.
Despite of using of sensors in escalators for power saving,
still the power consumption is high.
3. If these are not operated properly, they can be dangerous
4. Healthy people develop the habit of depending upon elevators;
therefore, the physical activity reduces.
5. In elevators, people get struck for hours between floors when
the power goes out and there is no back up for the power
supply.
6. It involves risk while operating these in wooden houses and
buildings.
The design being modified and installed at home will not be for
an individual confined to a wheelchair. Due to spatial restrictions,
the design calls for a collapsible built in the chair system. Equipped
with a seatbelt and a remote, this system will allow for independent
mobility up and down the stairs [2].

2 WORKING OF THE PROPOSED

SYSTEM
Our interest specifically focused, on the development of an IOT
based electro-mechanical system where in a person can connect to

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

the smart staircase through an android application built in MIT

app inventor for locomotion over the stairs. A smart positioning of
the sensor over the chair enables a person automatically gets the
access to this novel system.
These days the Internet of Things (IoT) is the most famous and
trending wireless communication model due to its vast applications
and reach to access. It involves a simple concept of controlling
electronic or electro mechanical devices using internet. Our smart
staircase also has this smart and easy feature of internet of things.
Node mcu being a controller that has inbuilt Wi-Fi capability is
being used as its range is 15-200 meters and simple to program.
Node mcu occupies less space and has the easily understandable
architecture reducing efforts of programmer. However, Node mcu
has only one analog pin, used for FSR406 without any risk. Other
digital pins used for motor driving using the motor driver MD30C
and limit switches arranged at both ends to know the end points
[14].

Figure 1 Home screen of android app

Figure 2 Control screen of the application

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3 PARTS SPECIFICATIONS

The low-power Wi-Fi system for sensing applications is

optimized to have advantages of accuracy, speed, throughput,
delay, and coverage range. Hence, node MCU being most
advantageous is used in this project.

There might be a situation where people do not even want to

use any button system. It being obvious, as technology has been
tremendously improving day-to-day people wants their life to be
more comfortable. This is the reason that a force sensor arranged in
such a way that, it can sense the force acting on it when a person sits
on the chair and programmatically a delay of few seconds is given
for the person to completely make him/herself comfortable on the
chair and put the seat belt on. Safety is always the first priority
that a person looks into when is getting on with new technology
along side with efficiency, speed and accuracy.

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4 BLOCK DIAGRAM

Figure 3 Block Diagram of Smart Staircase

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5 FLOWCHART

Figure 4 Flowchart for working of the Smart Staircase

Initially using the mobile, we need to connect to Node mcu

through Wi-Fi. Here Node mcu is server and password protected.
Using the application pre-installed on the mobile phone we can have
control over its operation for mobility over stairs. In automatic
mode using pressure sensor, when the weight acts on it, chair slides
over stairs either upward or downward. Here SMPS (switched mode
power supply) connected to a motor driver through Node mcu which
enables for sliding of the chair over the rail. Its architecture is most
economical and made portable so that it can be fixed anywhere with

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

less efforts and less power consumption. Physically handicapped

and aged people can use this smart staircase easily as it has two
modes automatic and mobile operated. It all depends on the user to
use in which mode either in automatic or mobile operated. There
are two rails, one on the top and other at the bottom for more
secure performance and sustainability.

Figure 5 Smart Staircase arrangement along the Stairs

Utility winch is fixed at certain height so that pull to the chair

uninterrupted. There are rollers at the back of the chair, on the rail
arranged in ’V’ shape. There is a hook like the structure, which
attached to the chair. This utility winch is of 2000lb so that it can
manage a weight of around 1000 kilograms. Gravitational force
(mgh) acts in opposite direction to the upward movement in order
satisfy this 2000lb utility winch is used.

Figure 6 The Foldable paddled chair

These paddles are arranged one at the bottom and two at the
middle. These foldable paddles are used so that it does not disturb
people climbing the stairs.

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

Figure 7 Design of Architecture

The above figure is a design made using Solidworks tool. It

gives us an exact design for implementation. The only thing need
to be taken care of is the step size and angle of inclination.

Figure 8 Position of roller for the easy movement

The most important role is of rollers that enables easy access to

the device over the stairs with less friction acting on them. At the
center of the above design, the hook of utility winch attached.

Figure 9 Real time implementation of Smart Staircase

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

6 CONCLUSION AND FUTURE

SCOPE
In this paper, we proposed an IOT based system, which provides
the easy way for aged and physically handicapped for mobility over
stairs. After getting phone connected to the system, easily using
the application which is on your phone one can ascend or descend
over the stairs. In the automatic mode, smart positioning of the
sensor enables sliding over the stairs even easier with least efforts
made by human. Architecture is cost effective and portable with
in less time This system can be advanced to have a battery back
in case of any power issues. This system can be implemented on
straight stairs only, and can be further modified for even turns.

References
[1] www.researchgate.net/publication/281946043 Development of
an integrated staircase lift for home access
[2] D Ding R.A Cooper ”Electric-Powered Wheelchairs: A review
of current technology and insight into future directions”
¡em¿IEEE Control Systems Magazine¡/em¿ 2005.
[3] www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jmce/papers/RDME-
Volume5/RDME-48.pdf
[4] Kumar, Vijay Rahman, Tariq Krovi, Venkat. (1997). Assistive
Devices For People With Motor Disabilities.
[5] www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-
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citizens-now/article2640657.ece
[6] simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator
[7] Avinash V. Gaikwad1 Pravin S. Ghawde2 Sandip J. Kadam3,
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
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[8] .Burdick, J.W., Radford, J., and Chirikjian, G.S., A
Sidewinding Locomotion Gait for Hyper Redundant Robots,

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Proc. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and

Automation. 1993.

[9] Helmick, D., Roumeliotis, S., McHenry, M., Matthies,

L., Multi-sensor, high speed autonomous stair climbing,
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[10] S. Yu T. Wang X. Li ”Configuration and tip-over

stability analysis for stair-climbing of a new-style wheelchair
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[11] E. Mihankhah, A. Kalantari , E. Aboosaeedan, H.D. Taghirad

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