Investigation of User Load and Evaluation of Power Assistive Control on Cycling Wheelchair

Aya Kaisumi; Yasuhisa Hirata; Kazuhiro Kosuge

doi:10.20965/jrm.2013.p0959

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JRM Vol.25 No.6 pp. 959-965

doi: 10.20965/jrm.2013.p0959

(2013)

Paper:

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Investigation of User Load and Evaluation of Power Assistive Control on Cycling Wheelchair

Aya Kaisumi, Yasuhisa Hirata, and Kazuhiro Kosuge

Department of Bioengineering and Robotics, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan

Received:

May 10, 2013

Accepted:

October 23, 2013

Published:

December 20, 2013

Keywords:

cycling wheelchair, power assist, hemiplegia

Abstract

Wheelchairs, walkers, and electric wheelchairs are well-known support devices for patients with lowerlimb disabilities. However, disuse of lower limbs presents an ongoing barrier to rehabilitation, and can eventually lead to disuse syndrome. To overcome this situation, researchers have designed the cycling wheelchair. The cycling wheelchair is accessible to most patients who can bend their lower limbs. It is primarily used in rehabilitation facilities with planar floors and gentle slopes. To become practicable for everyday use, cycling wheelchairs require sufficient power to travel up steeper slopes or across bumpy surfaces. This paper aims to clarify the power consumed by users in everyday environments by measuring the tread force on the pedals. The investigation targets lower-limb disabled subjects and unimpaired subjects. It was observed that some of the users could not summon sufficient power for uphill travel. In addition, hemiplegic subjects with only one unimpaired leg placed large load on their healthy limb. As a first step to overcome this problem, we introduce traveling resistance compensation control into a cycling wheelchair and evaluate its efficacy.

Cite this article as:

A. Kaisumi, Y. Hirata, and K. Kosuge, “Investigation of User Load and Evaluation of Power Assistive Control on Cycling Wheelchair,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.25 No.6, pp. 959-965, 2013.

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References

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[7] N. Sugita, Y. Kojima, M. Yoshizawa, A. Tanaka, M. Abe, N. Homma, K. Seki, and N. Handa, “Development of a virtual reality system to evaluate skills needed to drive a cycling wheelchair,” Conf. Proc. of Annual Int. Conf. of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, pp. 6019-6022, 2012.
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[10] H. Yabushita, Y. Hirata, K. Kosuge, and Z. D.Wang, “Environmentadaptive control algorithm of power assisted cycle,” IECON Industrial Electronics Society, Vol.2, pp. 1962-1967, 2003.
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This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationa License.

[1] [1] K. Seki, T. Fujii, and Y. Handa, “Change of H wave and MEP during pedaling by one leg,” 10th Annual Conf. of the Int. FES Society, 2005.

[2] [2] T. Takahashi, Y. Nishiyama, Y. Ozawa, E. Nakano, and Y. Handa, “Cycling Chair: a novel vehicle for the lower limbs disabled,” ICMIT 2005: Mechatronics, MEMS, and Smart Materials, Proc. of SPIE, Vol.6040, p. 60401X, 2005.

[3] [3] A. Kraly and S. Grobelnik, “Functional Electrical Stimulation – A New Hope For Paraplegic Patients,” Bulletin of Prosthetics Research, pp. 75-102, 1975.

[4] [4] T. Takahashi, M. Takazawa, Y. Nishiyama, E. Nakano, and Y. Handa, “FES Cycling Chair for the Lower Limbs Disabled People with Electric Motor Power Assist,” 9th Annual Conf. of the Int. FES Society, 2004.

[5] [5] K. Seki, M. Sato, T. Fujii, and Y. Handa, “Driving a cycling chair without FES in the non-ambulatory hemiplegic patients,” Proc. of 9th Annual Conf. on Int. FES Society, 2004.

[6] [6] K. Seki, M. Sato, and Y. Handa, “Increase of Muscle Activities in Hemiplegic Lower Extremity During Driving a Cycling Wheelchair,” The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine, Vol.219, No.2, pp. 129-138, 2009.

[7] [7] N. Sugita, Y. Kojima, M. Yoshizawa, A. Tanaka, M. Abe, N. Homma, K. Seki, and N. Handa, “Development of a virtual reality system to evaluate skills needed to drive a cycling wheelchair,” Conf. Proc. of Annual Int. Conf. of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, pp. 6019-6022, 2012.

[8] [8] N. Hiro, E. Takeuchi, K. Ohno, and S. Tadokoro, “Developing a Measurement System for Improving Daily Lives of Cycling Wheel Chair Patients,” SICE Annual Conf., pp. 1656-1660, 2012.

[9] [9] K. Kosuge, H. Yabushita, and Y. Hirata, “Load-free control of power-assisted cycle,” TExCRA ’04, First IEEE Technical Exhibition Based Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 111-112, 2004.

[10] [10] H. Yabushita, Y. Hirata, K. Kosuge, and Z. D.Wang, “Environmentadaptive control algorithm of power assisted cycle,” IECON Industrial Electronics Society, Vol.2, pp. 1962-1967, 2003.

[11] [11] S. Katsura and K. Ohnishi, “A wheelchair type mobile robot taking environmental disturbance into account,” 7th Int. Workshop on Advanced Motion Control, pp. 0-5, 2002.

[12] [12] S. Oh and Y. Hori, “Sensor Free Power Assisting Control Based on Velocity Control and Disturbance Observer,” Proc. of the IEEE Int. Symposium on Industrial Electronics, pp. 1709-1714, 2005.