Development of a Test Method for Walking Trolleys with an Assist Function

Walking trolleys that are currently being manufactured have a function that prevents downslope movement when the user crosses a slope. In this study, we have developed a test method to evaluate this function. First, we measured the handle-operating force exerted by elderly persons when crossing a slope by carrying out an experiment with 17 elderly participants. Analysis of the results indicated that the handle-operating force was 28 N. Based on these results, we developed a test method and a test equipment. Furthermore, we used the test equipment to conduct experiments on walking trolleys with and without activating the assist function to validate the test method. It was found that the proposed test can be performed with sufficient accuracy.