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Road loads acting on manual wheelchairs
D P VanSickle1, R A Cooper, M L Boninger
1Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, PA 15206, USA.
IEEE Transactions on Rehabilitation Engineering : a Publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
|September 23, 2000
Summary
New instrumentation and methods provide dynamic force data for wheelchair design. Standardized fatigue tests differ from real-world use, suggesting modifications for better wheelchair engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering
- Medical Device Design and Analysis
Background:
- Performing in-depth wheelchair design analysis is hindered by a lack of dynamic reaction force and moment data.
- Existing instrumentation and data collection methods are insufficient for capturing this crucial information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop instrumentation and methodologies for collecting dynamic force and moment data during wheelchair use.
- To facilitate computer-aided engineering (CAE) in wheelchair design by providing realistic data inputs.
Main Methods:
- Developed novel instrumentation for dynamic force and moment data collection.
- Implemented new data collection methodologies and analysis techniques.
- Collected data during standardized wheelchair fatigue tests, simulated road course trials, and community field trials with 17 subjects.
Main Results:
- Developed pseudo-statistical distributions of force and moment data for caster and rear wheels across three test conditions.
- Found force and moment distributions and extreme values were similar between simulated road course and community field trials.
- Observed significant differences between standardized fatigue testing and human trials, indicating limitations in current fatigue tests.
Conclusions:
- Dynamic force and moment data collected are suitable for finite element analysis and dynamic modeling in wheelchair design.
- Standardized wheelchair fatigue tests require modification to better reflect real-world forces and moments (magnitude and frequency).
- The study's findings can improve wheelchair standards and advance computer-aided engineering in wheelchair design.