Kostas Gianikellis
BioErgon Research Group, University of Extremadura, Spain
Title: Design of technological wheelchair system based on biomechanics methodology
Biography
Biography: Kostas Gianikellis
Abstract
Introduction: Wheelchair is one of most important element, both for sport activities (which are part of rehabilitation process), and for daily life activities in people with reduced mobility. The characterization of it use is important for classification (fair play), technification, and technical aids design. The aim of this work is to develop a prototype of a wheelchair, which incorporates different sensors that record biomechanical and physiological data that are related with propulsion technique, safety, spinal column health, and with the balance and sport performance, answering usability criteria requirement, i.e., specific characteristics to specifics user in conditions of specific use.
Methods:Workstation is composed by the following electronic systems:Accelerometers that allow mobility characterization and wheelchair maneuverability in 3D;Vibrations measurers according to ISO normative;Measurers of force applied to the handrim;Measurers of pressure distribution on the seat and the backrest; EMG sensors for muscular intervention characterization and muscle fatigue analysis; Complements: specific treadmill, anthropometer, cardiorespiratory evaluation system, IMU’s sensors and MoCap system, which reliability has been tested.
Conclusions: Information obtained by aforementioned systems is used to establish wheelchair design criteria according to functional and morphological user characteristics, so that, this work answer to the necessity of the development of a full system that allow to record all physiological and biomechanical parameters, that are necessary to wheelchair design and for training planning of each athlete.