Powered wheelchair driving performance using force- and position-sensing joysticks

Author

Jones, Daniel K. ; Cooper, Rory A. ; Albright, Steven ; DiGiovine, Michalle

Author_Institution

Med. Center, Pittsburgh Univ., PA, USA

fYear

1998

fDate

9-10 Apr 1998

Firstpage

130

Lastpage

132

Abstract

Ten unimpaired subjects participated in a study to evaluate the manual use of joysticks to drive an electrically powered wheelchair (PWC). Using a conventional position-sensing joystick (PSJ) and a prototype, force-sensing joystick (FSJ), each subject drove the PWC over a track marked on the floor of a gymnasium. A camera recorded the position of the PWC with respect to the track. Recordings were digitized using a motion analysis system, and images were processed to measure tracking errors. All subjects were able to successfully drive the PWC using each joystick. A two-tailed paired t-test (p<0.05) on the root-mean-square-error showed no significant difference between the joysticks for the group. This demonstrated that the FSJ was an effective device for driving a PWC. Further studies will evaluate the FSJ performance in more detail, particularly by experienced PWC users

Keywords

force measurement; handicapped aids; image motion analysis; interactive devices; position measurement; digitized recordings; force-sensing joysticks; gymnasium floor; motion analysis system; position-sensing joysticks; powered wheelchair driving performance; root-mean-square-error; tracking errors; two-tailed paired t-test; Biomedical imaging; Cameras; Circuits; Ergonomics; Laboratories; Manuals; Medical services; Orthopedic surgery; Prototypes; Wheelchairs;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Bioengineering Conference, 1998. Proceedings of the IEEE 24th Annual Northeast

Conference_Location

Hershey, PA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-4544-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/NEBC.1998.664901

Filename

664901