BIO-MECHANICS MEASUREMENT OF WHEELCHAIR PROPULSION BY A MATHEMATICAL LINK MODEL

概要

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It is very important for disabled persons to be able to select the adequate wheelchair based on reasonable guideline. However, the method of evaluating the fitting between user and the selected wheelchair has not been established. The mechanical work of the upper limbs and the maximum values of joint torques in wheelchair propulsion are candidates as reasonable criteria of the fitting. In this paper, a new wheelchair has been developed which equips several sensors to measure the dynamic variables on the wheelchair and the upper limbs. It is shown that the proposed criteria, the mechanical work and the maximum torques, can be calculated from the measured variables. Eight persons with spinal cord injury were involved in the experiments of wheelchair propulsion. The evaluated results have been considered in the case when the position of the wheel axis is changed in the experiments. It is verified by the experimental results that the proposed criteria are useful for fitting between users and wheelchairs.
秋田大学の論文