Assessment of Wheelchair Drag Resistance Using a Coasting Deceleration Technique (original) (raw)

Evaluation of wheelchair resistive forces during straight and turning trajectories across different wheelchair configurations using free-wheeling coast-down test

Journal of rehabilitation research and development, 2015

The purpose of this study was to develop a simple approach to evaluate resistive frictional forces acting on manual wheelchairs (MWCs) during straight and turning maneuvers. Using a dummy-occupied MWC, decelerations were measured via axle-mounted encoders during a coast-down protocol that included straight trajectories and fixed-wheel turns. Eight coast-down trials were conducted to test repeatability and repeated on separate days to evaluate reliability. Without changing the inertia of the MWC system, three tire inflations were chosen to evaluate the sensitivity in discerning deceleration differences using effect sizes. The technique was also deployed to investigate the effect of different MWC masses and weight distributions on resistive forces. Results showed that the proposed coast-down technique had good repeatability and reliability in measuring decelerations and had good sensitivity in discerning differences in tire inflation, especially during turning. The results also indica...

Effects of rolling resistances on handrim kinetics during the performance of wheelies among manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury

Spinal Cord

Study design:Repeated cross-sectional study.Objectives:To compare the effects of rolling resistances (RRs) on handrim kinetic intensity at the non-dominant upper limb and on handrim kinetic symmetry during wheelies performed by manual wheelchair users (MWUs) with spinal cord injury (SCI).Setting:Pathokinesiology Laboratory.Methods:Sixteen individuals with SCI who were able to perform wheelies participated in this study. During a laboratory assessment, participants randomly performed wheelies on four RRs: natural high-grade composite board, 5-cm thick soft foam, 5-cm thick memory foam, and with the rear wheels blocked by wooden blocks. Four trials were conducted for each of the RRs. Participant's wheelchair was equipped with instrumented wheels to record handrim kinetics, whereas the movements of the wheelchair were recorded with a motion analysis system.Results:The net mean and peak total forces, including its tangential and mediolateral components, were greater during take-off ...