IAES International Journal of Robotics and Automation (IJRA) Vol.
No.
September 2025, pp.
ISSN: 2722-2586.
DOI: 10.
11591/ijra.
Robotic mist bath wheelchair: innovations in automated body drying and sanitization for improved patient hygiene Vijay Mahadeo Mane1.
Harshal Ambadas Durge1.
Chin-Shiuh Shieh2.
Rajesh Dey3.
Rupali Atul Mahajan4.
Siddharth Bhorge1 Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering.
Vishwakarma Institute of Technology.
Pune.
India Department of Electronic Engineering.
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology.
Taiwan Gopal Narayan Singh University.
Bihar.
India Department of Computer Engineering.
Vishwakarma Institute of Technology.
Pune.
India
Article Info
ABSTRACT
Article history:
This paper presents the development and evaluation of the robotic mist bath wheelchair (MBWC), a multifunctional assistive device designed to enhance hygiene and comfort for individuals with limited mobility.
The MBWC integrates mist-based bathing, automated sanitization, and warm air-drying into a compact, wheelchair-mounted system suitable for home and clinical Experimental evaluations demonstrated effective temperature maintenance and a 30% reduction in bathing time compared to conventional User trials with 20 participants indicated a 92% satisfaction rate, reflecting improvements in hygiene, comfort, and operational ease.
MBWC
provides a cost-effective, hygienic alternative to traditional bathing methods, addressing critical challenges in eldercare and rehabilitation environments.
Received Apr 12, 2025 Revised Jun 16, 2025 Accepted Jul 10, 2025 Keywords:
Assistive technology Joystick navigation Mist bath system Patient hygiene system Sanitization system Sensor-based control Smart mobility aid This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license.
Corresponding Author:
Vijay Mahadeo Mane Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering.
Vishwakarma Institute of Technology Pune.
India Email: Vijay.
mane@vit.
INTRODUCTION
With the year-on-year rise in the elderly demographic, the nation is steadily transitioning into an aged society .
With the global trend of population aging, many nations are facing significant demographic transitions, and China is at the forefront of this shift.
Since 2015 .
China has been classified as an aging society .
, with over 222 million individuals aged 60 and aboveAi16.
1% of the total populationAiand this figure is projected to increase to 437 million .
%) by 2050 .
This surge in the elderly demographic is accompanied by challenges such as family structure transformations, inadequate eldercare staffing, and limited social support systems.
Consequently, many elderly individuals face significant difficulties in performing basic activities of daily living (ADL.
, including eating, dressing, toileting, transferring, bathing, and indoor mobilityAi90.
8% of them reportedly struggle with one or more of these tasks independently .
Among these ADLs, bathing poses unique physical and logistical challenges due to mobility limitations, fall risks, and the need for privacy and hygiene .
While assistive technologies have been introduced globally and domestically to alleviate these issues .
, most current solutions are either prohibitively expensive, lack key functional features .
, or place significant strain on caregivers .
Devices such as SwedenAos Arjohuntleigh adjustable bath chairs or China Kanghui TechnologyAos electric sanitary chairs .
, .
provide partial solutions but often fail to offer comprehensive, user-centered designs.
Additionally.
Cheng and Hao .
Zhang et al.
Liu et al.
, and Lan et al.
highlight persistent Journal homepage: http://ijra.
ISSN: 2722-2586
limitations such as cost, mechanical complexity, limited adjustability, and insufficient support for independent bathing.
To address these gaps, this study proposes the development of a mist bath wheelchair (MBWC), an innovative and integrated solution that enhances elderly bathing experiences by combining misting, sanitization, and drying functionalities into a single system.
The MBWC features a three-mode spray system .
anitizer, soapy water, plain wate.
activated via push-button controls .
, a moisture-absorbing foam seat with an integrated heating element for body comfort and drying .
, .
, and a fan with adjustable settings for hair drying .
Furthermore, the wheelchair is joystick-controlled for user maneuverability and can transform into nine distinct configurations to accommodate user preferences .
The novelty of the MBWC lies in its unified, cost-effective design that promotes hygiene, autonomy, and comfortAisurpassing limitations observed in prior technologies.
By merging essential hygiene support with mobility assistance, this study contributes a practical, scalable solution for eldercare, particularly in resource-constrained settings.
Although notable progress has been made, current bathing solutions for the elderly often fall short in terms of functionality, affordability, and ease of use.
Many are prohibitively expensive or too complex for independent use.
Most focus narrowly on physical support, overlooking crucial aspects like thermal comfort, privacy, and mental well-being.
Caregivers also struggle with poor ergonomics and limited adaptability to home settings.
This highlights the pressing need for accessible, holistic, and user-friendly bathing systems tailored to both users and caregivers.
METHOD
This section presents details of the components' connection, illustrating the comprehensive features of the MBWC, depicted in Figure 1.
This presents an integrated smart seating system featuring four modules:
seat adjustment, temperature regulation, mobility, and mist-based cooling.
Centered on Arduino Uno and Node-MCU, it employs servos, thermostat-controlled heating, motorized mobility, and Blynk-enabled mist/fan control, enabling precise, remote adjustments to enhance comfort and functionality.
Further subsections outline the operational flow of each feature of the MBWC and document the results obtained during testing.
Figure 1.
Features of MBWC Seat configuration system The seat configuration system employs three servo motors, controlled via a potentiometer, to achieve eleven ergonomically optimized chair positions for therapeutic and functional benefits.
Defined by servo angles .
, 2, .
recommended by experts, these configurations support health recovery, muscle strengthening, stress relief, and improved circulation .
Figure 2 shows detailed positional layouts.
The configurations address varied needs, including leg elevation, spinal alignment, and rehabilitation support.
Users adjust the potentiometer knob to modify resistance and voltage output, enabling precise servo In the control section of the chair, three potentiometers are installed, each labelled with specific angles as illustrated in Figure 3.
As the arrow indicates a particular angle, the servo motor adjusts accordingly to align with the corresponding angle.
Temperature regulation system The MBWC features a sophisticated system designed to adapt to seasonal temperature variations, utilizing an XH-W3001 thermostat module with separate power supplies to regulate seat temperature for winter, rainy conditions .
The XH-W3001 220 V AC thermostat regulates seat temperature via an IAES Int J Rob & Autom.
Vol.
No.
September 2025: 301-310
IAES Int J Rob & Autom
ISSN: 2722-2586
integrated relay controlling a resistive LED strip embedded within the chair shown in Figure 4.
It maintains thermal comfort by activating the heat source when the ambient temperature drops below 30 AC and deactivating it at or above 30 AC, cycling between 29 to 30 AC to ensure consistent warmth during cold This cyclic process persists until the power supply to the module is disconnected, ensuring ongoing temperature regulation that adapts to seasonal conditions.
Figure 5 provides a detailed operational flow, illustrating the full functionality of the warming system.
Figure.
2 Different seat configurations Figure 3.
Potentiometer with labelled angles Figure 4.
Placement of LED strip on chairAos internal surface Robotic mist bath wheelchair: innovations in automated body drying A (Vijay Mahadeo Man.
A ISSN: 2722-2586 Figure 5.
Workflow of warming system Remote controlled mobility system This feature controls the mobility of the chair using a joystick.
The joystick provides analog input signals representing movement along the X and Y axes, which are transmitted to the microcontroller.
These analog signals are converted to digital data using the Arduino UnoAos 10-bit ADC.
Joystick input is processed by the microcontroller to determine position, activating the L298N motor driver.
The H-Bridge circuit controls BO motor direction, enabling bidirectional and lateral chair movement .
The microcontroller interprets X and Y axis joystick inputs to determine motor direction and speed.
X-axis values <512 indicate left.
Ou512 indicate right.
Y-axis values range from 0 .
to 1023 .
Motor speeds are calculated accordingly, with sign denoting direction.
Correlating joystick directions with the corresponding chair movements provides a comprehensive overview of how joystick inputs translate into motor control signals, enabling nine directional movements, with analog values converted to digital bits by the This precise control mechanism, illustrated in Figure 6, ensures smooth and accurate chair movement in designated directions.
Figure 6.
Working of remote-controlled mobility system IAES Int J Rob & Autom.
Vol.
No.
September 2025: 301-310
IAES Int J Rob & Autom
ISSN: 2722-2586
Misting and fan control using mobile devices via Blynk application The system integrates two key functionalitiesAiultrasonic mist generation for bathing and a cooling fan for hair dryingAiboth controlled remotely via the Blynk mobile application .
, .
A Node-MCU microcontroller interfaces with the Blynk Cloud server to execute commands transmitted through the app .
, .
The Node-MCU governs a servo motor, a 4-channel relay module, three ultrasonic mist maker modules, and a 220 V AC cooling fan.
The ultrasonic mist makers employ piezoelectric transducers vibrating at 1.
MHz to produce 3Ae5 micro water droplets for fine misting.
A water level check ensures safe operation by disabling the misting function under low water conditions.
The misting unit supports three modes: continuous, interval, and off, with spray angle controlled via a servo motor and Blynk slider input.
For hair drying, an induction motor-driven cooling fan is activated through relay switching.
Speed regulation is achieved by adjusting input voltage, thus modulating airflow.
The entire operational workflow is illustrated in Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Workflow of Bathing feature Robotic mist bath wheelchair: innovations in automated body drying A (Vijay Mahadeo Man.
A ISSN: 2722-2586 Architecture This section provides an architectural overview of the MBWC.
Figure 8 depicts the external structure of the MBWC, which features a metallic frame supporting its primary components.
The upper frame houses curtain rods with motorized DC rolling mechanisms and magnetically hooked curtains for enclosed bathing.
A top-mounted servo directs mist from a humidifier, while alternating DC fans enhance Joystick-controlled mobility.
LED-embedded foam for moisture absorption, and a centralized switch box ensure seamless operation, integrating hygiene, comfort, and mobility in the MBWC design.
Figure 8.
External architecture of MBWC
RESULTS
This section presents the performance evaluation of the proposed temperature regulation system across different seasonal conditions, focusing on nighttime operation.
Figure 9 illustrates temperature regulation cycles in the rainy and winter seasons, while Table 1 summarizes additional daytime testing data.
The system was designed with expert-recommended thresholds: a maximum temperature of 30 AC and a minimum of 29 AC.
The heating element activates when temperatures fall below this range and switches off upon reaching the threshold, maintaining a consistent warmth cycle for user comfort.
Seasonal performance analysis As shown in Figure 9.
, during the rainy season, the system-initiated heating at an ambient temperature of 20.
2 AC, reaching the maximum threshold of 30 AC in 65 seconds.
The warmth was effectively sustained for approximately 232 seconds.
Minor fluctuations were observed, primarily due to varying ambient humidity and rain intensity.
In winter conditions in Figure 9.
, the system faced a lower starting temperature of 12.
3 AC, taking a longer duration of 190 seconds to reach 30 AC.
Despite this, the system managed to maintain warmth for 208 seconds, showing stable performance and smoother heating curves due to more consistent environmental conditions.
Table 1 supplements these findings with daytime temperature data, where quicker activation times .
s low as 9 second.
and prolonged warmth .
p to 319 second.
were observed, particularly when initial ambient temperatures were closer to the target threshold.
Comparative performance and analysis Compared to prior research efforts, such as the microcontroller-based heater in .
, which reported heating times of 120 to 160 seconds and lacked adaptive feedback, the proposed system demonstrates faster activation and superior regulation accuracy.
Additionally, studies like .
used passive insulation rather than dynamic control, resulting in less consistent warmth durations.
In contrast, our system integrates real-time sensor feedback and intelligent switching, allowing adaptive responsiveness to varying environmental The ability to maintain warmth for extended periods .
Ae319 second.
without overshooting indicates enhanced thermal stability, which is critical for applications in patient care, especially for individuals with thermoregulation impairments.
IAES Int J Rob & Autom.
Vol.
No.
September 2025: 301-310
IAES Int J Rob & Autom
ISSN: 2722-2586
Figure 9.
Graph of temperature regulation: .
cycle in rainy season and .
cycle in winter season Table 1.
Seasonal temperature control status Season Day/Night Winter Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Rainy Initial temperature (AC) Time to reach at maximum threshold .
Warmth maintained duration .
DISCUSSION The experimental findings validate the proposed temperature regulation systemAos capability to maintain thermal comfort across varying seasonal conditions.
The system dynamically responded to ambient temperature changes, requiring 190 seconds to reach the 30 AC threshold in winter versus 65 seconds in the rainy season.
Warmth retention was slightly longer in the rainy season .
than in winter .
, highlighting environmental influence on thermal dissipation.
These results are consistent with prior research on wearable thermoregulation systems, emphasizing the need for real-time feedback to maintain user comfort.
Compared to existing systems .
, .
, our solution offers improved responsiveness and longer warmth duration under similar conditions.
Observed overshoot patterns suggest scope for optimizing Robotic mist bath wheelchair: innovations in automated body drying A (Vijay Mahadeo Man.
A ISSN: 2722-2586 control algorithms for thermal stability.
Overall, the results demonstrate that the system is both technically viable and practically relevant, offering significant improvements in adaptive thermal care, particularly valuable for vulnerable populations in assistive and healthcare environments.
A pilot user study was conducted with 20 participants aged 65 and above, all having limited Participants completed bathing sessions using the MBWC and provided feedback through a standardized questionnaire evaluating hygiene, comfort, and ease of operation on a Likert scale .
Ae.
The average satisfaction rating was 4.
6 (A0.
, corresponding to 92% positive responses.
However, statistical significance was not formally tested, and confidence intervals were not calculated due to the limited sample CONCLUSION The mist bath wheelchair (MBWC), an innovative assistive device designed to enhance the bathing experience for individuals with limited mobility.
By integrating advanced misting, sanitization, and drying technologies within a wheelchair framework, the MBWC addresses hygiene and comfort limitations inherent in traditional bathing methods.
Testing confirmed the system's efficacy in maintaining high hygiene standards through effective misting and sanitization, while features such as moisture absorption and warm air drying ensured user comfort.
Additional functionalities, including joystick-controlled maneuverability and adjustable ergonomic support, further improved user independence and adaptability to diverse environments, such as eldercare facilities and home settings.
Future developments should prioritize design optimization to enhance usability and cost-effectiveness.
Longitudinal studies are necessary to evaluate the MBWCAos longterm impact on user quality of life.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to extend their sincere gratitude to Vishwakarma Institute of Technology.
Pune, for providing the infrastructure and technical support required to conduct this research.
Special thanks to the Research Committee of VIT Pune for approving and facilitating this study.
The authors also acknowledge National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology.
Taiwan, for their continued collaboration and technical insights in this study.
FUNDING INFORMATION
This work received no external funding.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS STATEMENT
This journal uses the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to recognize individual author contributions, reduce authorship disputes, and facilitate collaboration.
Name of Author Vijay Mahadeo Mane Harshal Ambadas Durge Chin-Shiuh Shieh Rajesh Dey Rupali Atul Mahajan Siddharth Bhorge C : Conceptualization M : Methodology So : Software Va : Validation Fo : Formal analysis ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue ue I : Investigation R : Resources D : Data Curation O : Writing - Original Draft E : Writing - Review & Editing CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT Authors state no conflict of interest.
IAES Int J Rob & Autom.
Vol.
No.
September 2025: 301-310
Vi : Visualization Su : Supervision P : Project administration Fu : Funding acquisition IAES Int J Rob & Autom
ISSN: 2722-2586
DATA AVAILABILITY
The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
REFERENCES