title: Pilot study for quantifying driving characteristics during power wheelchair soccer.
abstract: This study determined the driving characteristics of wheelchair users during power wheelchair soccer games. Data for this study were collected at the 28th and 29th National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Nineteen veterans who were 18 years or older and power wheelchair soccer players completed a brief demographic survey and provided information about their power wheelchairs. A customized data-logging device was placed on each participant's wheelchair before power soccer game participation. The data logger was removed at the end of the final game for each participant. The average distance traveled during the games was 899.5 +/- 592.5 m, and the average maximum continuous distance traveled was 256.0 +/- 209.4 m. The average wheelchair speed was 0.8 +/- 0.2 m/s, and the average duration of driving time was 17.6 +/- 8.3 min. Average proportion of time spent at a speed >1 m/s was 30.7% +/- 33.8%, between 0.5 and 1 m/s was 16.2% +/- 34.4%, and <0.5 m/s was 21.4% +/- 24.3%. The information from this descriptive study provides insight for future research in the field of adapted sports for people with high levels of impairments who use power wheelchairs for their mobility.
authors.affiliation: Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Department of Veterans Affairs, 6425 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206, USA.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Amol M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Karmarkar
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Oyster
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Rory A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012916:Soccer; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014728:Veterans; D014910:Wheelchairs