Vibration Response of Manual Wheelchairs According to Loads, Propulsion Methods, Speeds, and Ground Floor Types
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 po...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Vibration |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-631X/6/4/47 |
| _version_ | 1797379143676985344 |
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| author | Ophélie Larivière Delphine Chadefaux Christophe Sauret Patricia Thoreux |
| author_facet | Ophélie Larivière Delphine Chadefaux Christophe Sauret Patricia Thoreux |
| author_sort | Ophélie Larivière |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:17:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3c889dfaa19f45ee9eb950c9f1097741 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-631X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:17:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vibration |
| spelling | doaj.art-3c889dfaa19f45ee9eb950c9f10977412023-12-22T14:48:42ZengMDPI AGVibration2571-631X2023-09-016476277610.3390/vibration6040047Vibration Response of Manual Wheelchairs According to Loads, Propulsion Methods, Speeds, and Ground Floor TypesOphélie Larivière0Delphine Chadefaux1Christophe Sauret2Patricia Thoreux3Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Arts et Metiers Institute of Technology, IBHGC—Institut de Biomécanique Humaine Georges Charpak, HESAM Université, F-75013 Paris, FranceUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord, Arts et Metiers Institute of Technology, IBHGC—Institut de Biomécanique Humaine Georges Charpak, HESAM Université, F-75013 Paris, FranceArts et Métiers Institute of Technology, IBHGC—Institut de Biomécanique Humaine Georges Charpak, UR 4494, F-75013 Paris, FranceUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord, Arts et Metiers Institute of Technology, IBHGC—Institut de Biomécanique Humaine Georges Charpak, HESAM Université, F-75013 Paris, FranceManual 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-631X/6/4/47manual wheelchairoperational modal analysisvibration |
| spellingShingle | Ophélie Larivière Delphine Chadefaux Christophe Sauret Patricia Thoreux Vibration Response of Manual Wheelchairs According to Loads, Propulsion Methods, Speeds, and Ground Floor Types Vibration manual wheelchair operational modal analysis vibration |
| title | Vibration Response of Manual Wheelchairs According to Loads, Propulsion Methods, Speeds, and Ground Floor Types |
| title_full | Vibration Response of Manual Wheelchairs According to Loads, Propulsion Methods, Speeds, and Ground Floor Types |
| title_fullStr | Vibration Response of Manual Wheelchairs According to Loads, Propulsion Methods, Speeds, and Ground Floor Types |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vibration Response of Manual Wheelchairs According to Loads, Propulsion Methods, Speeds, and Ground Floor Types |
| title_short | Vibration Response of Manual Wheelchairs According to Loads, Propulsion Methods, Speeds, and Ground Floor Types |
| title_sort | vibration response of manual wheelchairs according to loads propulsion methods speeds and ground floor types |
| topic | manual wheelchair operational modal analysis vibration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-631X/6/4/47 |
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