Garrett G. Grindle

Quantification of activity during wheelchair basketball and rugby at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games: A pilot study.

To date, no published data exists on distances and speeds traveled by rugby or basketball players during game play. The purpose of this study was to provide quantitative information of selected characteristics of wheelchair basketball and rugby game play. A miniaturized data logger was used to collect the distance traveled, average velocity, activity time, and number of starts and stops during basketball and rugby games. Participants were recruited prior to wheelchair basketball and rugby tournaments during the 2007 and 2008 National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Inclusion criteria were age 18 years or older and been participating in wheelchair basketball or rugby. The wheelchair rugby athletes on average traveled 2364.78 ± 956.35 meters at 1.33 ± 0.25 m/sec with 242.61 ± 80.31 stops and starts in 29.98 ± 11.79 min of play per game. The wheelchair basketball athletes on average traveled 2679.52 ± 1103.66 m at 1.48 ± 0.13 m/sec with 239.78 ± 60.61 stops and starts in 30.28 ± 9.59 min of play per game. Previous research has not reported basketball or rugby game play variables such as these, making this data set unique. The information could be used by players and coaches to create training protocols to better prepare for game conditions.

A perspective on intelligent devices and environments in medical rehabilitation

Globally, the number of people older than 65 years is anticipated to double between 1997 and 2025, while at the same time the number of people with disabilities is growing at a similar rate, which makes technical advances and social policies critical to attain, prolong, and preserve quality of life. Recent advancements in technology, including computation, robotics, machine learning, communication, and miniaturization of sensors have been used primarily in manufacturing, military, space exploration, and entertainment. However, few efforts have been made to utilize these technologies to enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities. This article offers a perspective of future development in seven emerging areas: translation of research into clinical practice, pervasive assistive technology, cognitive assistive technologies, rehabilitation monitoring and coaching technologies, robotic assisted therapy, and personal mobility and manipulation technology.

Real-time model based electrical powered wheelchair control ☆

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of three different control methods on driving speed variation and wheel slip of an electric-powered wheelchair (EPW). A kinematic model as well as 3D dynamic model was developed to control the velocity and traction of the wheelchair. A smart wheelchair platform was designed and built with a computerized controller and encoders to record wheel speeds and to detect the slip. A model based, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and an open-loop controller were applied with the EPW driving on four different surfaces at three specified speeds. The speed errors, variation, rise time, settling time and slip coefficient were calculated and compared for a speed step-response input. Experimental results showed that model based control performed best on all surfaces across the speeds.

Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance—Design, Development, and Initial Testing

The ability to perform activities of daily living and mobility-related activities of daily living are substantial indicators of ones ability to live at home and to participate in ones community. Technologies to assist with mobility and manipulation are among the most important tools that clinicians can provide to people with disabilities to promote independence and community participation. For people with severe disabilities involving both the upper and lower extremities, there are few systems that provide practical and coordinated assistance with mobility and manipulation tasks. The personal mobility and manipulation appliance (PerMMA) was created in response to goals set forth by a team of clinicians and people with disabilities.

Development and qualitative assessment of the GAME/sup Cycle/ exercise system

Increased physical activity is important for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, among people with disabilities, inactivity is prevalent. In order to encourage exercise among members of this group, an exercise system combining arm ergometry with video gaming, called the GAME/sup Cycle/ was previously developed. User input was received through an arm crank ergometer on a swivel, with the angular velocity of the ergometer resistance wheel controlling one axis and rotation of ergometer about the swivel controlling the other. The purpose of this study was to detail the algorithms used in this device and present novel features included in a second generation of the GAME/sup Cycle/. The features include a wheel on base, a steering return mechanism, and wireless fire buttons. A focus group of clinicians (n=8), wheelchair users (n=8), and clinician wheelchair users (n=2) was conducted to evaluate the features of the GAME/sup Cycle/. The focus group suggested improvements to the steering mechanism and to reduce vibration in the system. However, the focus group enjoyed the GAME/sup Cycle/ and felt that it would encourage exercise among persons with disabilities.

Design and Development of the Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance

For people with significant mobility impairments who also have both lower and upper limb disability, there are few technology solutions. The aim of this article is to describe the design and development of the Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance, a device that provides coordinated mobility and bimanual manipulation for people with both lower and upper limb impairment. The Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance is integrated from several commercial products and custom technologies, including two robotic arms mounted on a mobile robotic base. It has three primary operating modes: local user, remote user, and autonomous. It also has a cooperative control mode where two or more of the primary modes can be used simultaneously. The device was evaluated in a kitchen and was able to perform several complex tasks. Future work should focus on interface improvements and evaluations by end users.

An Experimental Method for Measuring the Moment of Inertia of an Electric Power Wheelchair

This study describe an experiment measuring the moment of inertia of an electric powered wheelchair (EPW) using a torsional pendulum method. Inertia of the wheelchair is an important factor for control, which is a key issue in wheelchair driving. The experimental test platform consisted of a bottom circular wood plate, an upper metal plate, and four ropes. Materials with known moments of inertia such as the metal disk and cylinder were used to test the accuracy of the system. The EPW used in the experiment was Invacare G3 Torque SP Storm Series. The measured result of the moment inertia of the wheelchair was 5.2280 kg-m2 and the errors of the system are less than 10% even when the object is only 251bs. The results are consistent when compared with other approximate methods. In addition, the experimental method could be used to measure the moment of inertia of manual wheelchairs and other irregular objects.

Enhanced bimanual manipulation assistance with the Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance (PerMMA)

In this paper, we investigate the enhanced ability of manipulation with the newly developed Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance (PerMMA). PerMMA is a new assistive device that integrates bimanual manipulation with smart mobility to assist people with severe physical disabilities and enhance their quality of lives. Different from the fixed mounting method used in most existing systems, a novel mounting system was designed on PerMMA to enhance its capability of manipulation assistance. With a workspace characterized by essential daily living tasks, we evaluated PerMMAs performance of manipulation using a comparative study between PerMMA and classic design, such as single arm and fixed mounting, used in most existing systems. Simulation results demonstrate significant improvements with PerMMA in both of its reachability and manipulability.

Innovations With 3-Dimensional Printing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: A Review of the Literature

Created more than 30 years ago, 3‐dimensional printing (3DP) has recently seen a meteoric rise in interest within medicine, and the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is no exception. Also called additive manufacturing (AM), the recent increase in the use of 3DP is likely due to lower‐cost printers as well as breakthroughs in techniques and processing. This thematic narrative review serves to introduce the rehabilitation professional to 3DP technology and how it is being applied to orthoses, prostheses, and assistive technology (AT). The basics of the technology, as well as the benefits and challenges of using it within the rehabilitation framework, are described. Proponents of the technology suggest that 3DP offers not only a better way to make devices, but a better way to make improved devices. However, the strength of this claim has not been properly tested by the current literature. This narrative review evaluates the evidence and provides a discussion of possible implications for the rehabilitation professional.

Participatory design and validation of mobility enhancement robotic wheelchair

The design of the mobility enhancement robotic wheelchair (MEBot) was based on input from electric powered wheelchair (EPW) users regarding the conditions they encounter when driving in both indoor and outdoor environments that may affect their safety and result in them becoming immobilized, tipping over, or falling out of their wheelchair. Phase I involved conducting a participatory design study to understand the conditions and barriers EPW users found to be difficult to drive in/over. Phase II consisted of creating a computer-aided design (CAD) prototype EPW to provide indoor and outdoor mobility that addressed these conditions with advanced applications. Phase III involved demonstrating the advanced applications and gathering feedback from end users about the likelihood they would use the advanced applications. The CAD prototype incorporated advanced applications, including self-leveling, curb climbing, and traction control, that addressed the challenging conditions and barriers discussed with EPW users (n = 31) during the participatory design study. Feedback of the CAD design and applications in phase III from end users (n = 12) showed a majority would use self-leveling (83%), traction control (83%), and curb climbing (75%). The overall design of MEBot received positive feedback from EPW users. However, these opinions will need to be reevaluated through user trials as the design advances.