Article

Power wheelchairs are essential for many individuals with mobility impairment.
The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of bimanual
gliding (BG) and conventional joystick (CJ) control in an indoor environment,
with application to (1) wheelchair driving performance (i.e., practice time, completion time, and driving deviation) and (2) muscle activity of the upper
limbs. This study included 22 participants (11 experienced manual wheelchair
users and 11 novice manual wheelchair users). Experienced wheelchair users who
used the BG strategy needed less time to practice and complete the task. Muscle
activity of the upper limbs was focused on the triceps brachii, with relatively
less use of the wrist muscles while applying the BG strategy. In novice
wheelchair users, wrist muscles were less involved when using the BG control
compared with the CJ control. The findings imply that it is feasible to modify
manual wheelchairs using BG and motors, which can serve as an alternative option
for wheelchair users.

Langue : ANGLAIS