Manual wheelchair propulsion cost across different components and configurations during straight and turning maneuvers

AIM: Maneuvering manual wheelchairs is defined by changes in momentum. The amount of effort required to maneuver a wheelchair is dependent on many factors, some of which reflect the design and configuration of the wheelchair. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to measure the work required to propel a manual wheelchair configured with three weight distributions, three drive wheels and four casters. METHODS: A novel wheelchair-propelling robot was used as the test platform to measure work while traversing two surfaces using three different maneuvers which were defined to highlight different kinetic energies and energy loss mechanisms. RESULTS: Overall, propulsion cost decreased with an increase in load on the drive wheels. Pneumatic drive wheels exhibited lower propulsion costs compared to a solid tire. Two casters, a 4″ dia × 1.5″ and a 5″ dia × 1″, exhibited better overall performance compared to 5″ dia × 1.5″ solid and 6″ dia × 1″ pneumatic casters. DISCUSSION: The results indicate that drive wheel load and types of drive wheels and casters impact propulsion cost and their influences differ across maneuvers and surfaces. The approach is well suited to assess equivalency in components and configurations. Assessment of performance equivalency would empower clinicians and users with important knowledge when selecting components.