A FULL MOTION MANUAL WHEELCHAIR SIMULATOR FOR REHABILITATION RESEARCH

Wheelchairs are the most common assistive devices for enhancing mobility with dignity [1], and are used by over 10 million users in developed countries alone [2]. Yet several major problems are still faced by manual wheelchair users today, including upper-body injuries induced by wheelchair propulsion [3], and difficulty navigating complex environments [4]. This paper describes a comprehensive manual wheelchair simulator being developed at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute’s new Challenging Environment Assessment Laboratory (CEAL) see Figure 1. The simulator is intended to enable and encourage research that can meaningfully address the challenges faced by wheelchair users, thus potentially improving the lives of millions.