A central interest in the study was the analysis of the physical demand required from the upper extremities for wheelchair propulsion in the two conditions. Here, a significant - and substantial - difference between the steered and the conventional mode was found: When completing the test course, energy expenditure in the upper extremities was approximately halved by the steering mechanism for able-bodied participants while they were still able to complete the course in about 25% less time. This difference exceeded the project team’s expectations by a large margin.
Collaboration with Pleuni Kirch and Prof. Dr. Riemer Vegter @ University Groningen
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