Vibration Response of Manual Wheelchairs According to Loads, Propulsion Methods, Speeds, and Ground Floor Types

Abstract

Manual wheelchair (MWC) users are daily exposed to vibration during propulsion. The impact of such exposure on the MWC user’s health has yet to be proven. To date, no agreement has been reached, presumably on the account of the wide variety of experimental parameters that need to be controlled. A possible solution relies on the implementation of a User/MWC model to point out the effect of propelling conditions (MWC loads, propulsion methods, speeds, and ground floor types) on the vibration exposure and eventually on the MWC user’s health. To feed such a model, the evaluation of the MWC vibration response during propulsion is required. Following a necessary MWC experimental modal analysis under laboratory conditions, this study presents the vibration response of an MWC under various propelling conditions. For each investigated condition, the identified set of modal parameters was provided and the effect on the MWC response to vibration at the User/MWC interfaces was highlighted. Results mostly underline that the response to vibration is highly dependent on the propelling conditions. The speed and the ground floor type greatly affect the vibration response: doubling speed and increasing ground surface roughness imply threefold and eightfold vibration levels, respectively. Finally, the main outcome is that an empty MWC or an MWC loaded with a dummy generates vibration outside the range measured for an MWC loaded with a human body, resulting in a lower frequency content and an almost two-fold vibration level increase. The findings of this study will help enhance the understanding of the health risks that wheelchair users encounter as a result of vibrations.