Measuring handrim wheelchair propulsion in the lab: A critical analysis of stationary ergometers

There are many ways to simulate handrim wheelchair propulsion in the laboratory. Ideally, these would be able to, at least mechanically, simulate field conditions. This narrative review provides an overview of the lab-based equipment used in published research and critically assesses their ability to simulate and measure wheelchair propulsion...

Technical note: a novel servo-driven dual-roller handrim wheelchair ergometer

The measurement of handrim wheelchair propulsion characteristics and performance in the field is complicated due to the non-stationary nature of wheelchair driving. In contrast, the laboratory provides a constrained and standardisable environment to conduct measurements and experiments. Apart from wheelchair treadmills, dynamometers or...

Determining and Controlling External Power Output During Regular Handrim Wheelchair Propulsion

The use of a manual wheelchair is critical to 1% of the world's population. Human powered wheeled mobility research has considerably matured, which has led to improved research techniques becoming available over the last decades. To increase the understanding of wheeled mobility performance, monitoring, training, skill acquisition, and...

Physiological and biomechanical comparison of overground, treadmill, and ergometer handrim wheelchair propulsion in able-bodied subjects under standardized conditions

Background: Handrim wheelchair propulsion is often assessed in the laboratory on treadmills (TM) or ergometers (WE), under the assumption that they relate to regular overground (OG) propulsion. However, little is known about the agreement of data obtained from TM, WE, and OG propulsion under standardized conditions. The current study aimed to...

Early motor learning changes in upper-limb dynamics and shoulder complex loading during handrim wheelchair propulsion

Background To propel in an energy-efficient manner, handrim wheelchair users must learn to control the bimanually applied forces onto the rims, preserving both speed and direction of locomotion. Previous studies have found an increase in mechanical efficiency due to motor learning associated with changes in propulsion technique, but it is...

Variability in bimanual wheelchair propulsion: Consistency of two instrumented wheels during handrim wheelchair propulsion on a motor driven treadmill

Background Handrim wheelchair propulsion is a complex bimanual motor task. The bimanually applied forces on the rims determine the speed and direction of locomotion. Measurements of forces and torques on the handrim are important to study status and change of propulsion technique (and consequently mechanical strain) due to processes of learning,...

Skill acquisition of manual wheelchair propulsion: Initial motor learning

Changes in propulsion technique due to motor learning might account for a higher mechanical efficiency (ME, the ratio of internal power over external power). The changes in ME and propulsion technique were studied in a learning experiment, three times a week for eight minutes, with nine able-bodied subjects, simulating early rehabilitation....