title: Participatory design in the development of the wheelchair convoy system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In long-term care environments, residents who have severe mobility deficits are typically transported by having another person push the individual in a manual wheelchair. This practice is inefficient and encourages staff to hurry to complete the process, thereby setting the stage for unsafe practices. Furthermore, the time involved in assembling multiple individuals with disabilities often deters their participation in group activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Wheelchair Convoy System (WCS) is being developed to allow a single caregiver to move multiple individuals without removing them from their wheelchairs. The WCS will consist of a processor, and a flexible cord linking each wheelchair to the wheelchair in front of it. A Participatory Design approach - in which several iterations of design, fabrication and evaluation are used to elicit feedback from users - was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An iterative cycle of development and evaluation was followed through five prototypes of the device. The third and fourth prototypes were evaluated in unmanned field trials at J. Iverson Riddle Development Center. The prototypes were used to form a convoy of three wheelchairs that successfully completed a series of navigation tasks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A Participatory Design approach to the project allowed the design of the WCS to quickly evolve towards a viable solution. The design that emerged by the end of the fifth development cycle bore little resemblance to the initial design, but successfully met the project's design criteria. Additional development and testing is planned to further refine the system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, PA, USA. vks3@pitt.edu
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Edmund F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: LoPresti
authors.forename: Casimir
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mostowy
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puhlman
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Rory A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Konarski
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kerley
mesh_terms: D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004867:Equipment Design; D006804:Ergonomics; D006801:Humans; D014910:Wheelchairs