Engineering novel modular smart attachments to manual wheelchairs to improve mobility capabilities and performance

现代轮椅为无数人带来了好处，随着人口老龄化，这一点的重要性只会增加。然而，使用轮椅的残疾人通过他们的自主程度和充分参与社区各个方面的程度来确定生活满意度和生活质量。目前在这方面缺乏轮椅。换句话说，人们更多地受到技术和环境的限制，而不是他们的残疾。使用手动轮椅还与健康问题有关，包括有害的：疼痛、皮肤问题、活动范围、痉挛、心理社会限制和慢性上肢损伤。我的研究目标是通过提高mwc的能力和性能来解决这些问题。通过对终端用户需求、轮椅移动性行业趋势的了解，并利用我们的康复工程研究能力，该研究项目的长期目标是支持开发易于与手动轮椅集成的新型移动性产品，并提高安全性、性能和功能。这些产品被称为“附加组件”和用户可调节功能，这些设备表明轮椅技术在模块化和动态时最具影响力。因此，一个基本的MWC是为典型的运动和座位设置的，但当需要或期望时，组件可以“动态”调整（例如ElevationT）或简单地附加（例如FreewheelT， SmartDriveT），以实现更大的功能。当该特定任务不再需要附加组件时，MWC可以轻松地返回到其基本形式。我的研究计划是通过研究智能控制和强大的模块化附件来进一步开发适用于所有地形和环境的mwc智能移动附件（SmartMATEs）。进一步研究潜在产品的具体目标是：表征附加组件对mwc的安全性、性能和耐久性的影响；研究各种用户模式下的先进共享控制方案；制定克服障碍和困难地形的方法；并研究更高级的附加组件和功能。早期阶段的SmartMATEs原型已经展示了在沙滩和雪地上的能力，这些区域以前是MWC无法到达的。接下来的步骤包括通过增加智能稳定控制来提高崎岖地形的安全性。其他项目将研究通过路缘、爬楼梯和实现完全站立移动的功能。重要的是，这些改进的设备需要安全，独立使用（例如，易于连接），易于通过汽车和飞机携带，并快速拆卸以恢复基本的MWC功能。好处是更方便的环境，更安全的移动性，更好的社交互动，并避免了MWC用户对电动椅的需求（及其相关的损害）。附加组件也有一条现有的市场路径，从而提高了将这项研究转化为实际轮椅使用者的机会。

Modern wheelchairs provide benefits to countless people, and this is only projected to increase in importance as the population ages. However, people with disabilities who use wheelchairs identify life satisfaction and quality of life by their level of autonomy and degree of access to full participation in all aspects of their community. Wheelchairs are currently lacking in this regard. Expressed another way - people are more limited by technology and environments than by their disabilities. Manual wheelchair (MWC) use is also associated with health issues, including detrimental: pain, skin issues, range of motion, spasticity, psychosocial limitations, and chronic upper limb injury. My research goal is to address these issues by enhancing the capabilities and performance of MWCs. With understanding end-user needs, wheelchair mobility industry trends, and using our rehabilitation engineering research capabilities, the long-term objective of this research program is to support the development of novel mobility products that easily integrate with manual wheelchairs and improve safety, performance and function. These products are referred to as "add-ons" and user-adjustable features, devices that show that wheelchair technology is most impactful when modular and dynamic. Thus, a base MWC is setup for typical movement and seating, but when needed or desired, components are adjusted "on the fly" (e.g. ElevationT) or simply attached (e.g. FreewheelT, SmartDriveT) to enable greater function. The MWC then easily returns to its base form when the add-on is not needed anymore for that specific task. My research program is taking add-ons much further by investigating intelligent control and powerful modular attachments to develop Smart Mobility Attachments for all Terrains and Environments (SmartMATEs) for MWCs. Specific objectives to further the research towards potential products are to: characterize the effects add-ons have on safety, performance, and durability of MWCs; research advanced shared-control schemes for various user modes; develop methods to overcome obstacles and difficult terrains; and investigate more advanced add-ons and functions. Early-stage SmartMATEs prototypes have demonstrated capability on sandy beaches and snow, areas previously inaccessible to a MWC. Next steps include improving safety on rough terrains by adding smart stability control. Other projects will investigate functions to navigate curbs, climb stairs, and enable full standing mobility. Importantly, these improved devices need to be safe, independently usable (e.g., easy to attach), easily portable by car and plane, and quickly removable to restore base MWC function. Benefits are more accessible environments, safer mobility, better social interactions, and obviating a MWC user's need for a power chair (with its related detractions). Add-ons also have an existing path to market, thus improving the chances for this research to be translated to actual wheelchair users.