Evaluation of Load and Easiness/Difficulty in Operating Manual Wheelchair on Longitudinal Slopes

• Published in: Nihon Kikai Gakkai rombunshuu. C hen Vol. 71; no. 701; pp. 237 - 244
• Main Authors: OKU, Hidehisa, FUJISAWA, Shoichiro, KAMATA, Minoru, YONEDA, Ikuo, KASUYA, Saki, BANDO, Michiko, SUEDA, Osamu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers 2005
• Subjects: Analysis and Evaluation; Human Engineering; Human Interface; Maneuverability; Rehabilitation Engineering; Wheelchair Mobility
• ISSN: 0387-5024; 1884-8354; 1884-8354
• DOI: 10.1299/kikaic.71.237

Maneuverability of wheelchair depends not only on mechanical efficiency but also on the environmental condition where the wheelchair runs. So, we have been aiming to comprehend mechanism of influences of road/floor conditions on maneuvering the wheelchairs quantitatively. In this paper some information obtained through many test runs of experimental wheelchair on longitudinal slopes are reported. The load/distance rate that is momentum needed to move 1 m, is useful to evaluate difficulty in maneuvering the wheelchair quantitatively. Furthermore, knowledge about factor that causes failure in negotiating a longitudinal slope by the wheelchair was acquired. Making use of the knowledge, the indicator that can estimate whether a wheelchair rider will be able to negotiate a longitudinal slope on the basis of measurement of his/her traction force using simple push-pull gauge for example.