Trunk motion influences mechanical power estimates during wheelchair propulsion

In wheelchair sports, there is an increasing need to monitor mechanical power in the field. When rolling resistance is known, inertial measurement units (IMUs) can be used to determine mechanical power. However, upper body (i.e., trunk) motion affects the mass distribution between the small front and large rear wheels, thus affecting rolling...

Obtaining wheelchair kinematics with one sensor only? The trade-off between number of inertial sensors and accuracy for measuring wheelchair mobility performance in sports

In wheelchair sports, the use of Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) has proven to be one of the most accessible ways for ambulatory measurement of wheelchair kinematics. A three-IMU configuration, with one IMU attached to the wheelchair frame and two IMUs on each wheel axle, has previously shown accurate results and is considered optimal for...

Machine Learning to Improve Orientation Estimation in Sports Situations Challenging for Inertial Sensor Use

In sports, inertial measurement units are often used to measure the orientation of human body segments. A Madgwick (MW) filter can be used to obtain accurate inertial measurement unit (IMU) orientation estimates. This filter combines two different orientation estimates by applying a correction of the (1) gyroscope-based estimate in the...

Effects of seat height, wheelchair mass and additional grip on a field-based wheelchair basketball mobility performance test

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of seat height, wheelchair mass and grip on mobility performance among wheelchair basketball players and to investigate whether these effects differ between classification levels. METHODS: Elite wheelchair basketball players with a low (n= 11, class 1 or 1.5) or high (n= 10,...

Development, construct validity and test–retest reliability of a field-based wheelchair mobility performance test for wheelchair basketball

The aim of this study was to develop and describe a wheelchair mobility performance test in wheelchair basketball and to assess its construct validity and reliability. To mimic mobility performance of wheelchair basketball matches in a standardised manner, a test was designed based on observation of wheelchair basketball matches and expert...

Improving mobility performance in wheelchair basketball

Objectiev:<br/>This study aimed to investigate which characteristics of athlete, wheelchair and athlete-wheelchair interface are the best predictors of wheelchair basketball mobility performance.<br/><br/>Design:<br/>Sixty experienced wheelchair basketball players performed a wheelchair mobility performance test to assess their mobility...

Effects of offense, defense, and ball possession on mobility performance in wheelchair basketball

The aim of this study was to determine to what extent mobility performance is influenced by offensive or defensive situations and ball possession and to what extent these actions are different for the field positions. From video analysis, the relative duration of the various wheelchair movements during team offense/defense and individual ball...