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

现代轮椅为无数人提供了好处，随着人口老龄化，这一点预计只会变得越来越重要。然而，使用轮椅的残疾人通过他们的自治程度和充分参与其社区所有方面的程度来确定生活满意度和生活质量。轮椅目前在这方面缺乏。另一种表达方式--人们更多地受到技术和环境的限制，而不是他们的残疾。手动轮椅(MWC)的使用也与健康问题有关，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MWCS的能力和性能来解决这些问题。通过了解最终用户需求、轮椅移动性行业趋势，并利用我们的康复工程研究能力，该研究计划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”和用户可调功能，这些设备表明，当模块化和动态时，轮椅技术最具影响力。因此，基本的MWC是为典型的移动和座椅而设置的，但当需要或需要时，组件会被“动态”调整(例如ElevationT)或简单地连接(例如FreeewelT、SmartDriveT)以实现更大的功能。然后，当该特定任务不再需要该附加组件时，MWC很容易返回到其基本形式。我的研究计划正在通过研究智能控制和强大的模块化附件来进一步扩展附加组件，以开发适用于所有地形和环境的智能移动附件(SmartMATE)。进一步研究潜在产品的具体目标是：表征附加组件对MWCS的安全性、性能和耐用性的影响；研究针对各种用户模式的高级共享控制方案；开发克服障碍和困难地形的方法；以及研究更高级的附加组件和功能。早期的SmartMATE原型已经在沙滩和雪地上展示了能力，这些地区以前是MWC无法到达的。下一步包括通过增加智能稳定控制来提高崎岖地形上的安全性。其他项目将研究导航路缘、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是安全的，独立使用(例如，易于连接)，易于携带的汽车和飞机，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，以及消除MWC用户对电动椅子的需求(及其相关的损害)。附加组件也有一条进入市场的现有途径，因此提高了这项研究转化为实际轮椅用户的机会。

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.