Wheelchair durability and maintenance condition are key factors of wheelchair function. Durability studies done with double drum and drop testers, although valuable, do not perfectly imitate conditions of use. Durability may be harvested from clinical records; however, these may be inconsistent because protocols for recording information differ from place to place. Wheelchair professionals with...

The aim of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of what people who use wheeled mobility devices (WMDs; e.g., manual and power wheelchairs, and scooters) identify as environmental barriers to community participation in cold weather climates, and to explore recommendations to overcome environmental barriers to community participation. Researchers conducted an online asynchronous fo...

PURPOSE To explore the experiences of using an electric wheelchair in daily living. METHODS Fifteen participants, eight women and seven men, living in different parts of a Nordic country were interviewed. The interviews were conducted in the home or at the workplace. Open-ended questions were used. The data were collected and analyzed according to the grounded theory. RESULTS Analysis resul...

A new infinitely variable automatic transmission called the RESATRAN that automatically changes its speed ratio in response to load torque being transmitted is presented. A prototype has been built and tested on a conventional three-wheeled electric motor propelled wheelchair. It is shown theoretically that more than 50 percent reduction in power during hill climbing may be expected when a tran...

Wheelchair racing science and the performance of athletes involved in wheelchair racing have developed rapidly in recent years. With increasing interest in this sport, the need arises to identify areas where further research is necessary and cooperation between individuals with various backgrounds is encouraged. Many of the problems facing investigators in this field require knowledge in severa...

OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that people with stroke who receive formal powered wheelchair skills training improve their wheelchair skills to a significantly greater extent than participants in a control group who do not and to explore the influence of spatial neglect. DESIGN Seventeen participants with stroke (including nine with spatial neglect) were randomly...

In the wheelchair propulsion literature, it is common to report upper-limb (UL) joint kinetics to express shoulder, elbow, and wrist loads. Choosing the appropriate kinetic resolution coordinate system (CS) for UL joint forces and moments has become a laboratory-specific process. The differences that arise during interpretation may hinder a clear and broad understanding of UL joint kinetics dur...

The extreme difficulty with which persons with severe disabilities have been taught to maneuver a power wheelchair has been described in case studies, and anecdotal evidence suggests the existence of a patient population for whom mobility is severely limited if not impossible given currently available power wheelchair control interfaces. Since our review of the literature provided little eviden...

Encouraging an active lifestyle is an essential part of successful rehabilitation programs, and the link between physical activity and quality of life (QOL) is well established among patients with mobility disorders. Biomechanical aspects of wheelchair design play an important role in physical activity and social participation of disabled individuals. This review focuses on key biomechanical fe...

BACKGROUND Many older adults rely on a manual wheelchair for mobility but typically receive little, if any, training on how to use their wheelchair effectively and independently. Standardized skill training is an effective intervention, but limited access to clinician trainers is a substantive barrier. Enhancing Participation in the Community by Improving Wheelchair Skills (EPIC Wheels) is a 1-...