stair-climbing wheelchair
internship at NishCorp: making their wheelchair exist in simulation before it existed in steel, then helping build the half-scale prototype.
may – nov 2025 · intern, control systems · NishCorp Technologies · prototype
NishCorp is a startup building a wheelchair that can climb stairs. When I joined, it existed as a CAD model. My job was to make it exist in physics.
I converted the CAD to URDF, spawned it in Gazebo, applied differential-drive kinematics, added an IMU plugin, and wrote teleop so we could actually drive it around in sim and study the motion and steering. Then we crossed over to the real world: 3D-printed parts, assembly, testing — a half-scale prototype that could sit and stand.
The simulation work mattered beyond the screen — it was part of what helped the startup land ₹13 lakh in grants. Simulating before building isn’t academic; it’s how a small team affords to be ambitious.
made with
- ROS
- Gazebo
- RViz
- URDF
- kinematics
- 3D printing