An ergonomic wheelchair for hemiplegics

Issue title: Bringing AT Professionals Together

Guest editors: Jane Seale and Alan Turner-Smith

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Lesley, Samuel^{; *} | Porter, Lucy A.^{; 1}

Affiliations: Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK. Tel.: +44 1223 332926; Fax: +44 1223 332741; E-mail: SL2@eng.cam.ac.uk

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author.

Note: [1] Currently at: 7 Hamilton Road, Bath BA1 5SB, UK. Tel.: +44 1225 313458; E-mail: lucyabi_porter@hotmail.com.

Abstract: A dual-pushrim hemiplegic wheelchair with significantly-improved ergonomics has been built and tested. Propulsion is via only one pushrim, and steering is done with one foot. The second pushrim is used to pirouette the chair either clockwise or anticlockwise. In comparative tests with a standard dual-pushrim wheelchair – covering intuitiveness of use, effort, and manoeuvrability – a panel of able-bodied users found the prototype to be much easier to use, and scored it 50% fully described and illustrated.

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-2002-14406

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 183-189, 2002