Comparison of Manual Wheelchair Propulsion in “Real-world” and Computer Simulated Environments

Abstract

Research to help prevent or alleviate the muscle fatigue and injuries prevalent among long-term manual wheelchair users is largely conducted in a laboratory environment. Through laboratory simulations it is possible to focus on a manageable set of variables among the many pertinent ones that characterize daily living; and the closer real-life conditions can be simulated, the more pertinent will be the findings. The goal of this thesis was to test manual wheelchair users’ performance on two different real-world surfaces and the transition between them, versus their simulations on a wheelchair ergometer. Two closed-loop models were used to simulate real-world surface propulsion. Surface friction and inertia were simulated through closed-loop steering of ergometer resistance. For one surface, the simulation came very close to real-world parameters, whereas for the other, a considerable deviation needed to be compensated for by calibration. The simulation models were unsuccessful for surface transitions and will need further refinement.