Ice Skating Chair
By Kawaji, Keigo; Blatt, Eric; Sampale, Kalpana; Bohs, Larry; NSF 2007 Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons With Disabilities, pp. 58-59Publication Date: 2010
Description of an ice skating chair designed to allow wheelchair users to participate safely in skating events. Developed at the Duke University Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Ice Skating Chair was constructed by modifying a standard manual wheelchair. The rear wheels were replaced with hockey skate blades mounted parallel and bolted to an aluminum plate, which in turn was bolted to the wheelchair frame. Using aluminum wedges, the blades were tilted to recline the chair backwards for user safety and comfort. Foam and fabric padded handlebars were attached to the rear of the wheelchair to allow a pusher to assist the skater. A braking mechanism provides safety in the event the pusher loses control of the chair. Front protectors fashioned from youth size goalie pads and customized side protectors attached to the wheelchair armrests protect the user and other skaters in the event of a collision. Safety harnesses and supports for the neck, back, torso, pelvis, knee, and ankles were also added. On-ice tests with the invention revealed that the chair glides smoothly as long as the pusher does not exceed a speed of 8 miles per hour. Users can be transported off the ice by lifting on the rear handlebars and rolling the chair on the front wheels.
Published by: Creative Learning Press, Inc. (Website:http://www.creativelearningpress.com)
Link to text: http://nsf-pad.bme.uconn.edu/2007/Chapter7,%20Duke%20University.pdf
ISBN: 1-931280-12-6
