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Among manual wheelchair users has upper-extremity pain and injuries when self-propelling. However, manual propelling provides aerobic exercise. Powered wheelchairs are efficient to up/down ramps and long distance traveling, but it is heavy, bulky and the cost is very expensive. The ideal wheelchair system should have the advantages of both manual and powered wheelchairs. Therefore, it was developed the powered module for motorizing manual wheelchairs as a solution. This device is an intermediate alternative between manual and powered wheelchairs; it converts a manual wheelchair in a powered wheelchair. The module is a powered unit, which is attached, in all types of manual wheelchairs, quickly and easily by the user. It can be used for pushing or pulling the wheelchair in many environments. The purpose of this paper is to determine the dynamic behavior of the powered module-wheelchair.

It is considerable the number of research around the subject of motorization of conventional manual wheechairs, however the found models don't take care of the real necessities of the wheelchair users. In the manufacture the necessity of an independent vehicle for the load transport exists. With the increasing necessity in Brazil to develop the knowledge in the area of independent vehicles and not being still available a towboat of tests adjusted to approach such problems. The articulated towboat is an intelligent independent vehicle to tow loads. The users of conventional manual wheelchairs will go to use this vehicle when to need motorization, that is in ascent cases, descending of ramps, or long distances. This vehicle possesss practical applications that they can assist systems of support to the rehabilitation of physical and motor deficiencies and also systems automatized of manufacture.

In this work the main objective is the development of systems for motorization of conventional wheelchairs, and the great mass of wheelchairs now available in Brazil of the simplest type than they don't allow the pure and simple conversion for motorization. In this aspect the problem comes as a challenge because the great variety of models and types of wheelchairs and the lack of a rigorous normalization impose the use of technologies of search of solutions and the application of methodology knowledge and systematic of project. In this way, firstly a study will be accomplished on the object wheelchair, containing: historical, origin, types and characteristics. The following step will be the search of the possibilities of motorizing conventional wheelchairs, limitations and applications.