An international track wheelchair with a center of gravity directional controller

An international track wheelchair (ITWC) with a center of gravity directional controller (COGDC) is described in this paper. The rules for international track competition disallow devices designed solely for steering. Equipment has been disqualified for having steering handles, crown compensators, and other lever systems. However, the rules do allow tie-rod linkage and the use of springs for dampening caster flutter. The chair described in this paper exploits the physical properties of wheeled vehicles to achieve directional control on the track. This controller is effective, because turning is only required in one direction. Three such track wheelchairs have been developed and were used at the Paralympics in Seoul, Korea, in October of 1988.