Quantitative Evaluation and Analysis of Influences of Floor Conditions and Position of Rear Wheels on Maneuvering the Manual Wheelchair
By Yondeda, Ikuo; Kasuya, Saki; Bando, Michiko; Seuda, Osamu; Ide, Masafumi; Oku, Hidehisa; Kamata, Minoru; Assistive Technology - Shaping the Future: AAATE 2003 Conference Proceedings, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 147-151Publication Date: 2003
Paper discusses the design of a manual wheelchair equipped with torque meters on the hand-rims and rotary encoders in the axles of the rear wheels. The position of the rear wheels can be shifted forward and backward at 20-millimeter intervals and up and down at 15-millimeter intervals. Data regarding driving force on hand rims and the rotation speed of the rear wheels can be collected using the torque meters. The authors used the wheelchair to investigate the influences of floor surface conditions and the position of the rear wheels on maneuverability. Results indicated that shifting the position of rear wheels forward could make the running performance of wheelchairs slightly more efficient. Results also indicated a backward shift in user center-of-gravity in the push phase of wheelchair propulsion, which could have an affect on wheelchair running performance.
Published by: IOS Press (Website:http://www.iospress.nl)
Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE) (Web Site: http://www.aaate.net )
ISBN: 1-58603-373-5
