Powered rocking chair

The patient is a three- year old girl who was born blind and with cerebral palsy. For most of her waking time she screams unless pacified by rocking. Her carer asked for some form of power driven rocking chair to be devised, to relieve them of the physical demands.

A moveable base was constructed incorporating an upper frame which was hinged at the back and driven by crank and connecting rod at the front to give it vertical oscillation. The seat is attached to this upper frame; the fixings designed to take either a car seat or a special ‘Panda’ chair. The power unit consists of a 12 volt wheelchair motor fed from a laptop supply and geared down to run at about 35rpm.

(Southend)