Assessment of Joystick control during the performance of powered wheelchair driving tasks
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Powered wheelchairs are essential for many individuals who have mobility impairments. Nevertheless, if operated improperly, the powered wheelchair poses dangers to both the user and to those in its vicinity. Thus, operating a powered...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2011-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation |
| Online Access: | http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/8/1/31 |
| _version_ | 1818050577133731840 |
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| author | Routhier François Archambault Philippe S Sorrento Gianluca U Dessureault Danielle Boissy Patrick |
| author_facet | Routhier François Archambault Philippe S Sorrento Gianluca U Dessureault Danielle Boissy Patrick |
| author_sort | Routhier François |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Powered wheelchairs are essential for many individuals who have mobility impairments. Nevertheless, if operated improperly, the powered wheelchair poses dangers to both the user and to those in its vicinity. Thus, operating a powered wheelchair with some degree of proficiency is important for safety, and measuring driving skills becomes an important issue to address. The objective of this study was to explore the discriminate validity of outcome measures of driving skills based on joystick control strategies and performance recorded using a data logging system.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We compared joystick control strategies and performance during standardized driving tasks between a group of 10 expert and 13 novice powered wheelchair users. Driving tasks were drawn from the Wheelchair Skills Test (v. 4.1). Data from the joystick controller were collected on a data logging system. Joystick control strategies and performance outcome measures included the mean number of joystick movements, time required to complete tasks, as well as variability of joystick direction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In simpler tasks, the expert group's driving skills were comparable to those of the novice group. Yet, in more difficult and spatially confined tasks, the expert group required fewer joystick movements for task completion. In some cases, experts also completed tasks in approximately half the time with respect to the novice group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The analysis of joystick control made it possible to discriminate between novice and expert powered wheelchair users in a variety of driving tasks. These results imply that in spatially confined areas, a greater powered wheelchair driving skill level is required to complete tasks efficiently. Based on these findings, it would appear that the use of joystick signal analysis constitutes an objective tool for the measurement of powered wheelchair driving skills. This tool may be useful for the clinical assessment and training of powered wheelchair skills.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T10:55:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2a6a3383bf5349d7bd12319550216cc2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1743-0003 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T10:55:41Z |
| publishDate | 2011-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation |
| spelling | doaj.art-2a6a3383bf5349d7bd12319550216cc22022-12-22T01:51:53ZengBMCJournal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation1743-00032011-05-01813110.1186/1743-0003-8-31Assessment of Joystick control during the performance of powered wheelchair driving tasksRouthier FrançoisArchambault Philippe SSorrento Gianluca UDessureault DanielleBoissy Patrick<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Powered wheelchairs are essential for many individuals who have mobility impairments. Nevertheless, if operated improperly, the powered wheelchair poses dangers to both the user and to those in its vicinity. Thus, operating a powered wheelchair with some degree of proficiency is important for safety, and measuring driving skills becomes an important issue to address. The objective of this study was to explore the discriminate validity of outcome measures of driving skills based on joystick control strategies and performance recorded using a data logging system.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We compared joystick control strategies and performance during standardized driving tasks between a group of 10 expert and 13 novice powered wheelchair users. Driving tasks were drawn from the Wheelchair Skills Test (v. 4.1). Data from the joystick controller were collected on a data logging system. Joystick control strategies and performance outcome measures included the mean number of joystick movements, time required to complete tasks, as well as variability of joystick direction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In simpler tasks, the expert group's driving skills were comparable to those of the novice group. Yet, in more difficult and spatially confined tasks, the expert group required fewer joystick movements for task completion. In some cases, experts also completed tasks in approximately half the time with respect to the novice group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The analysis of joystick control made it possible to discriminate between novice and expert powered wheelchair users in a variety of driving tasks. These results imply that in spatially confined areas, a greater powered wheelchair driving skill level is required to complete tasks efficiently. Based on these findings, it would appear that the use of joystick signal analysis constitutes an objective tool for the measurement of powered wheelchair driving skills. This tool may be useful for the clinical assessment and training of powered wheelchair skills.</p>http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/8/1/31 |
| spellingShingle | Routhier François Archambault Philippe S Sorrento Gianluca U Dessureault Danielle Boissy Patrick Assessment of Joystick control during the performance of powered wheelchair driving tasks Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation |
| title | Assessment of Joystick control during the performance of powered wheelchair driving tasks |
| title_full | Assessment of Joystick control during the performance of powered wheelchair driving tasks |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of Joystick control during the performance of powered wheelchair driving tasks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of Joystick control during the performance of powered wheelchair driving tasks |
| title_short | Assessment of Joystick control during the performance of powered wheelchair driving tasks |
| title_sort | assessment of joystick control during the performance of powered wheelchair driving tasks |
| url | http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/8/1/31 |
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