User-centered design and spatially-distributed sequential electrical stimulation in cycling for individuals with...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Sports Science

Background:

• System enhancements for CYBATHLON 2020 Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Bike Race participation.
• User-centered design principles and telerehabilitation capabilities integrated into the FES system.
• Comparative analysis of single electrode stimulation (SES) and spatially distributed sequential stimulation (SDSS) for FES cycling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on system enhancements for FES cycling.
• To evaluate user perception of the developed FES system.
• To compare the performance of SES and SDSS in FES cycling.

Main Methods:

• System usability assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire.
• Comparative performance data collected from one subject across four CYBATHLON-simulated race sessions.
• Experimental comparison between SES and SDSS techniques for FES cycling.

Main Results:

• Positive user perception of the FES system indicated by SUS scores.
• SDSS demonstrated superior absolute and average performance compared to SES in total distance and velocity.
• Successful participation in CYBATHLON 2020, achieving 6th place in the FES Bike Race.

Conclusions:

• User-centered design, driven by the CYBATHLON format, was well-received.
• SDSS shows potential for enhancing FES cycling speed and duration for individuals with paraplegia.
• Further research is needed to commercialize the FES system and validate SDSS benefits in extensive studies.