A method for identifying human-generated forces during an extensor thrust

Some wheelchair users with neuromuscular disorders experience involuntary extensor thrusts, which may cause injuries via impact with the wheelchair, cause the user to slide out of the wheelchair seat, and damage the wheelchair. Knowledge of the human-generated forces during an extensor thrust is of great importance in devising safer more comfortable wheelchairs. This paper presents an efficient method for identifying human-generated forces during an extensor thrust. We used an inverse dynamic approach with a three-link human body model and a system for measuring human body motion. We developed an experimental system that determines the angular motion of each human body segment and the force at the footrest, which was used to overcome the mathematical indeterminacy of the problem. The proposed method was validated experimentally illustrating the force-identification process during an extensor thrust.

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