The objective of this study was to conduct a kinetic analysis of manual wheelchair propulsion during start-up on select indoor and outdoor surfaces.

Purpose: Over one billion people with disabilities (PWDs) and older adults with mobility impairment are currently in need of assistive technology devices (ATDs) and only 10% of those population have ordinarily access to them. The need for advancement in mobility-assistive technology is growing to address the gap in ATDs provision globally. The purpose of this review is to identify potential future areas of development and research in mobility-assistive technology. Method: Publications were identified using scientific and medical electronic databases. Also, a limited grey literature search was conducted to muster a variety of sources. A combination of keyword search terms was used, corresponding to the medical subject heading (MeSH) terms. Results: A total of 392 articles were identified, of which 75 were selected for detailed review. Twenty-eight articles were identified that met the review’s inclusion criteria. Future areas of research for mobility-assistive technology were identified by grouping the publications into four main categories. The findings of this review identified several areas of research and development in ATDs in general and mobility-assistive technology, in particular, with special attention to the importance of engaging users and stakeholders in the process of research and design. Conclusions: It is apparent that users’ needs and priorities vary between regions within countries. The majority of studies were noted to mainly identify consumers’ perspectives on a national basis. The authors, therefore, suggest that further research should be conducted on a global level to determine the knowledge and perspectives concerning future research and development needs and priorities in mobility-assistive technologies.

Background. The objective of this study was to examine how surface electrical stimulation of trunk musculature influences the kinematic, kinetic, and metabolic characteristics, as well as shoulder muscle activity, during wheelchair propulsion. Methods. Eleven participants with spinal cord injury propelled their own wheelchairs on a dynamometer at a speed of 1.3 m/s for three 5-minute trials. During a propulsion trial, 1 of 3 stimulation levels (HIGH, LOW, and OFF) was randomly applied to the participant’s abdominal and back muscle groups with a surface functional electrical stimulation device. Propulsion kinetics, trunk kinematics, metabolic responses, and surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of 6 shoulder muscles were collected synchronously. Kinetic, kinematic, and EMG variables were recorded during 3 time intervals (30 seconds each) within a 5-minute trial. Metabolic variables were recorded through the entire 5-minute trial. Results. Participants with HIGH stimulation increased their gross mechanical efficiency (P = .05) during wheelchair propulsion. No differences were found in shoulder EMG activity, energy expenditure, and trunk motion between stimulation levels. Conclusion. Functional electrical stimulation on the trunk musculature has potential advantages in helping manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury improve propulsion efficiency without placing additional demands on shoulder musculature.