title: Sensewheel: an adjunct to wheelchair skills training.
abstract: The purpose of this Letter was to investigate the influence of real-time verbal feedback to optimise push arc during over ground manual wheelchair propulsion. Ten healthy non-wheelchair users pushed a manual wheelchair for a distance of 25 m on level paving, initially with no feedback and then with real-time verbal feedback aimed at controlling push arc within a range of 85°-100°. The real-time feedback was provided by a physiotherapist walking behind the wheelchair, viewing real-time data on a tablet personal computer received from the Sensewheel, a lightweight instrumented wheelchair wheel. The real-time verbal feedback enabled the participants to significantly increase their push arc. This increase in push arc resulted in a non-significant reduction in push rate and a significant increase in peak force application. The intervention enabled participants to complete the task at a higher mean velocity using significantly fewer pushes. This was achieved via a significant increase in the power generated during the push phase. This Letter identifies that a lightweight instrumented wheelchair wheel such as the Sensewheel is a useful adjunct to wheelchair skills training. Targeting the optimisation of push arc resulted in beneficial changes in propulsion technique.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology , University College London , London HA7 4LP , UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Symonds
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology , University College London , London HA7 4LP , UK.
authors.forename: Stephen J G
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: University College London Interaction Centre, University College London , London WC1E 6EA , UK.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holloway
keywords: Sensewheel; feedback; handicapped aids; patient rehabilitation; physiotherapist; push arc; real time verbal feedback; wheelchair skills training; wheelchairs