Objective: In this study, we aimed to describe the burden of family caregivers providing powered wheelchair-related and overall assistance and test the hypotheses that caregiver burden correlates with participation, wheelchair skills capacity, anxiety, depression, and social support. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Participants included 35 family caregivers of powered wheelchair users. Caregive...

in this paper, an intelligent controller is applied to control omni-directional robots motion. first, the dynamics of the three wheel robots, as a nonlinear plant with considerable uncertainties, is identified using an efficient algorithm of training, named lolimot. then, an intelligent controller based on brain emotional learning algorithm is applied to the identified model. this emotional lea...

D espite its obvious benefits to the user, the wheelchair represents a changed and intensely disliked lifestyle . It identifies the user as disabled and is a constant reminder of the disability . Moreover, the wheelchair becomes part of that person's self-image . For the prescribing physician or clinician, it is a frustrating reminder of an . inability to cure the condition . An appropriate whe...

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...