Compact Powered Door Opener

Project goal: To design and build a door operator concealed in the door frame of a wheelchair lift in compliance with applicable ANSI/BHMA standards. The doors on wheelchair lifts are not automatic and require wheelchair users to operate them manually. The team designed and built a door operator, concealed in the door frame of an Ascension Protégé wheelchair lift, in compliance with applicable standards of the American National Standards Institute and the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. The opener enables a person in a wheelchair, or someone without use of their arms, to control their own lift entry and exit. The design consists of a mechanical actuator to move the door and software to regulate speed and operating procedure. A mechanical override, activated by pushing on the door, accounts for emergencies and power outages. In the event of obstructions, the software resets the current operation or allows the obstruction to be removed if there are multiple failed attempts. The system is also designed to be compact and modular for easy maintenance and implementation in other lifts.