Power wheelchair range testing and energy consumption during fatigue testing

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Biomechanics
• Product Testing

Background:

• Power wheelchair range is influenced by numerous factors including battery type, weight, terrain, and driving habits.
• Accurate range estimation is crucial for user independence and effective mobility device selection.
• Current range testing methods may not accurately reflect real-world performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of three distinct methods for estimating power wheelchair range.
• To compare the current draw of power wheelchairs on pavement versus an ISO Double Drum tester.
• To identify the most reliable and practical method for power wheelchair range testing.

Main Methods:

• Three range estimation methods were tested on seven different power wheelchairs: tennis court, treadmill, and ISO Double Drum tester.
• Tests were conducted with and without a 100 kg International Standards Organization (ISO) test dummy.
• Energy consumption was measured over 1500 meters on level surfaces for each test condition.

Main Results:

• Significant differences (p=0.0001) were found in predicted range at maximum speed across the three test methods.
• The ISO Double Drum tester showed significantly different results compared to both treadmill and tennis court tests (p<0.01).
• No significant difference (p>0.05) was observed between treadmill and tennis court range predictions.

Conclusions:

• A simple correlation between ISO Double Drum tester results and real-world range (tennis court) is not established.
• Treadmill testing presents a feasible alternative, demonstrating consistent relationships with tennis court data for range prediction.
• The ISO Double Drum tester requires friction reduction, as it exhibited higher current demand than typical usage.