The completed wheel design functions to produce resultant force as a function of voltage.

Final Design

Redesigned circuit to increase CMRR and amplify the voltage output signal.

Circuit Design

Changed tab dimensions in order to increase sensitivity through increased flexibility.

Tab Design

Decreased the number of push-rim attachments from 6 to 3 in order to decrease rigidity of push-rim.

Pushrim Attachments

DescriptionPrototype 2Prototype 1Design Element

.

Manual wheelchair users (MWUs) are living longer and fuller lives due to innovative technological and medical advances. While the progress has been substantial, there are still areas of need in this population. More than half of MWUs experience upper extremity (UE) pain and injury 1,2,3. The UEs serve as the principle means for mobility, therefore, any impeding factor, such as pain or injury, can lead to a decreased quality of life. The development of UE pain and injury may be a result of improper propulsion biomechanics or poor wheelchair seating configurations. In order to quantitatively assess a MWU's propulsion technique for training or seating purposes, there is a need for an instrumented assessment tool.

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Instrumented Wheel for Wheelchair Propulsion AssessmentJacob Connelly, Andrew Cramer, John Labiak, Advisor Mark Richter, Ph.D.

Vanderbilt University Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nashville, TN, USAMax Mobility LLC, Nashville, TN, USA

GOALS & OBJECTIVESGOALS & OBJECTIVES Develop an instrumented wheelchair wheel utilizing strain

gauges. Quantitatively measure resultant force during wheelchair

propulsion. Minimize costs in order to provide an affordable tool for

wheelchair seating clinics. o Production cost less than $2,000o Market price $3,000 to $5,000

Integrate universal compatibility into the design of the instrumented wheel.oCapable of fitting all wheelchairs.oAdaptable to different size wheels (24'', 25'', and 26'').oProvide wireless capability with Bluetooth technology.

AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments

METHODSMETHODSRESULTS AND DISCUSSION RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The prototype was tested to determine the sensitivity of the instrumented wheel. The output voltage was recorded in LabView for each individual tab, yielding high sensitivities for each tab as seen in Figure 2. Voltage responses were strongest when force was applied to the pushrim directly above the tab. The two other tabs, located 120° away, responded to a lesser degree and oppositely to the previous tab as expected.

A standard resultant force curve was constructed from the output voltage data taken in LabView. The three tabs measure individual voltage outputs relating to applied force at that respective tab. These measurements require a systemic integration in order to produce an overall measurement of total resultant force applied to the pushrim.

Paul King, Ph D. – Faculty Advisor, VUSE Department of Biomedical EngineeringRussel Rodriguez M.E. – Project Engineer, Max Mobility LLCAdam Karpinsky M.E. – Project Engineer, Max Mobility LLCGuo Liyon M.E. – Project Engineer, Max Mobility LLCFranz Baudenbacher, Ph D.– Consultant, VUSE Department of Biomedical EngineeringTobias Meyer – Consultant, VUSE Department of Biomedical Engineering

1 Sie IH, Waters RL, Adkins RH, Gellman H. Upper extremity pain in the postrehabilitation spinal cord injured patient. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1992;73:44–48.2 Dalyan M, Cardenas DD, Gerard B. Upper extremity pain after spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 1999;37:191–95. 3 Gellman H, Sie IH, Waters RL. Late complications of the weight-bearing upper extremity in the paraplegic patient. Clin Orthop. 1988;233:132–35.

ReferencesReferences

T

C

OUTPUT VOLTAGE Pushrim tab redesign: thickness (0.125’’0.09’’) and width

(0.50’’0.40’’). Tested strain gauge response in a Wheatstone bridge

circuit on breadboard. Designed the instrumentation amplifier based on the strain

gauge response. Removed the old tabs and welded the three new tabs onto

the pushrim. Designed printed circuit board. Wired the wheel. Attached the strain gauges to the tabs. Soldered all components onto the printed circuit board. Connected the strain gauges and power supply to printed

circuit board. Measured theoutput voltages from printed circuit board.

Must be between 0-5V.

Connected printed circuit board to the DAQ. Developed LabView program to record, process, and display data. Recorded voltage data via Bluetooth in LabView. Recorded voltage data for each tab by applying known forces with a spring scale. Mounted the printed circuit board, DAQ, and power supply to the spokes of the wheel. Created a standard curve for the wheel.

Figure 2. The output voltage for tabs 1 (red), 2 (white), and 3 (green).

Figure 1. The initial prototype design changed significantly during the course of the project.

RESULTANT FORCE CURVE

Standard Curve

y = 0.0645x + 0.2675R2 = 0.9946

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Force (lb)

Volta

ge (V

)

Figure 3. Output voltage readings from each tab were used to construct the Standard Curve above.

CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS

FUTURE WORK

The prototype wheel developed here demonstrates the ability to assess wheel chair propulsion by measuring strain created by resultant force. Small changes in voltage created by flexion in the pushrim can be sufficiently amplified in order to gain the appropriate sensitivity to clearly track the resultant force applied to the system.

Improvements to the current prototype include the use of more precise circuit components, which can cause imbalances in the bridge circuit creating deviations in the output voltage of respective tabs. Also, to more accurately gauge resultant force over the entire pushrim, software or hardware (angle sensor) additions are necessary for determination of the applied force location. Inclusion of more pushrim tabs around the wheel to better track the applied propulsion forces is another option for future modification.

Each tab is routed to its respective bridge and amplifier circuit.