Measurement Wheels

Force measurements on wheels play a central role in many studies on wheelchair propulsion. Unfortunately, no appropriate system is readily available on the market at this point, but measurement methods need to be developed in addition to wheelchair prototypes.

For this reason, a side project on a strain-gauge based force measurement wheel was started. It appeared, simply instrumenting custom joints between a handrim and the spoke-wheel might be a solution for realising a lightweight measurement device. Further steps towards implementation and calibration of a dedicated measurement wheel for this specific use-case were a great challenge but greatly benefited from the expertise, from other projects and existing custom-made electronic and mechanical components at the Laboratory for Movement Biomechanics at ETH Zürich.

As the measurement wheels are more than 50% lighter than previous, commercial solutions, they open doors to a range of new applications for long-term studies in science, for outpatient monitoring in clinics or for performance diagnostics in sports.

Future iterations of this measurement instruments are therefore in the planning.

Collaboration with Manual Müller, MSc