Types of Self Control Wheelchairs

Self-control wheelchairs are utilized by many disabled people to get around. These chairs are great for everyday mobility and can easily climb up hills and other obstacles. They also have a large rear flat shock absorbent nylon tires.

The speed of translation of a wheelchair was determined by using the local field potential method. Each feature vector was fed to an Gaussian decoder, which produced a discrete probability distribution. this post accumulated evidence was used to trigger the visual feedback, and a signal was issued when the threshold was reached.

Wheelchairs with hand-rims

The kind of wheel a wheelchair uses can affect its ability to maneuver and navigate terrains. Wheels with hand rims help relieve wrist strain and provide more comfort to the user. Wheel rims for wheelchairs may be made of aluminum, plastic, or steel and are available in various sizes. They can be coated with rubber or vinyl for better grip. Some are ergonomically designed, with features like shapes that fit the user's closed grip and broad surfaces to allow full-hand contact. This allows them distribute pressure more evenly and avoids pressing the fingers.

A recent study has found that rims for the hands that are flexible reduce impact forces as well as the flexors of the wrist and fingers when a wheelchair is being used for propulsion. They also have a wider gripping area than standard tubular rims. This lets the user apply less pressure while still maintaining the rim's stability and control. These rims are available at a wide range of online retailers as well as DME providers.

The study revealed that 90% of respondents were pleased with the rims. However, it is important to remember that this was a mail survey of people who purchased the hand rims from Three Rivers Holdings and did not necessarily represent all wheelchair users with SCI. The survey also didn't evaluate the actual changes in pain or symptoms, but only whether the individuals perceived a change.

The rims are available in four different styles which include the light, medium, big and prime. The light is a smaller-diameter round rim, whereas the medium and big are oval-shaped. The prime rims have a slightly larger diameter and a more ergonomically designed gripping area. All of these rims can be mounted to the front wheel of the wheelchair in a variety of shades. These include natural light tan as well as flashy blues, greens, reds, pinks, and jet black. They also have quick-release capabilities and are easily removed to clean or maintain. Additionally, the rims are coated with a rubber or vinyl coating that helps protect hands from slipping on the rims and causing discomfort.

Wheelchairs that have a tongue drive

Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a new system that lets users maneuver a wheelchair and control other digital devices by moving their tongues. It is made up of a small tongue stud and magnetic strips that transmit movements signals from the headset to the mobile phone. The smartphone converts the signals into commands that can control a device such as a wheelchair. The prototype was tested with disabled people and spinal cord injury patients in clinical trials.

To assess the performance of this system, a group of physically able people utilized it to perform tasks that assessed the speed of input and the accuracy. Fittslaw was utilized to complete tasks, such as mouse and keyboard use, and maze navigation using both the TDS joystick as well as the standard joystick. The prototype featured a red emergency override button, and a friend was with the participants to press it when needed. The TDS was equally effective as a normal joystick.

In a separate test in another test, the TDS was compared to the sip and puff system. It lets people with tetraplegia control their electric wheelchairs by blowing or sucking into straws. The TDS was able to complete tasks three times faster and with more precision than the sip-and-puff. In fact, the TDS was able to drive a wheelchair more precisely than even a person with tetraplegia, who controls their chair with a specially designed joystick.

The TDS could monitor tongue position with a precision of less than one millimeter. It also had cameras that could record eye movements of a person to interpret and detect their movements. Safety features for software were also integrated, which checked valid inputs from users 20 times per second. Interface modules would automatically stop the wheelchair if they did not receive a valid direction control signal from the user within 100 milliseconds.

The team's next steps include testing the TDS for people with severe disabilities. To conduct these tests, they are partnering with The Shepherd Center which is a critical health center in Atlanta and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. They are planning to enhance their system's sensitivity to ambient lighting conditions, and to include additional camera systems, and to allow repositioning of seats.

Wheelchairs with a joystick

With a wheelchair powered with a joystick, clients can operate their mobility device with their hands, without having to use their arms. It can be positioned in the center of the drive unit or on the opposite side. It is also available with a screen to display information to the user. Some screens have a big screen and are backlit for better visibility. Some screens are smaller, and some may include symbols or images that help the user. The joystick can be adjusted to suit different sizes of hands and grips, as well as the distance of the buttons from the center.

As power wheelchair technology has advanced in recent years, clinicians have been able to design and create alternative controls for drivers to enable clients to reach their potential for functional improvement. These advances also enable them to do this in a way that is comfortable for the user.

For instance, a standard joystick is an input device which uses the amount of deflection in its gimble in order to produce an output that increases with force. This is similar to the way video game controllers and accelerator pedals in cars work. However this system requires motor function, proprioception, and finger strength in order to use it effectively.

A tongue drive system is another type of control that uses the position of a user's mouth to determine the direction to steer. A tongue stud that is magnetic transmits this information to the headset, which can perform up to six commands. It can be used for people with tetraplegia and quadriplegia.

As compared to the standard joysticks, some alternative controls require less force and deflection in order to operate, which is useful for people with limitations in strength or movement. Some controls can be operated with just one finger and are ideal for those who have little or no movement in their hands.

Some control systems also have multiple profiles that can be modified to meet the requirements of each user. This can be important for a user who is new to the system and might need to alter the settings periodically in the event that they feel fatigued or have a disease flare up. This is useful for experienced users who want to change the parameters set for a particular environment or activity.

Wheelchairs with steering wheels

Self-propelled wheelchairs are designed to accommodate those who need to move around on flat surfaces and up small hills. They have large rear wheels that allow the user to grasp while they propel themselves. Hand rims allow users to use their upper-body strength and mobility to move a wheelchair forward or backward. Self-propelled wheelchairs are available with a wide range of accessories, such as seatbelts, dropdown armrests, and swing-away leg rests. Some models can also be transformed into Attendant Controlled Wheelchairs to assist caregivers and family members drive and control the wheelchair for users that require more assistance.


Three wearable sensors were connected to the wheelchairs of participants to determine the kinematic parameters. These sensors tracked the movement of the wheelchair for the duration of a week. The gyroscopic sensors that were mounted on the wheels and fixed to the frame were used to measure the distances and directions of the wheels. To distinguish between straight forward movements and turns, periods of time during which the velocity differences between the left and right wheels were less than 0.05m/s was considered to be straight. The remaining segments were examined for turns and the reconstructed wheeled paths were used to calculate turning angles and radius.

This study involved 14 participants. Participants were evaluated on their navigation accuracy and command latencies. They were asked to maneuver in a wheelchair across four different wayspoints on an ecological experimental field. During the navigation trials, sensors monitored the movement of the wheelchair along the entire course. Each trial was repeated at least twice. After each trial, participants were asked to choose which direction the wheelchair to move in.

The results showed that most participants were able complete the tasks of navigation even though they did not always follow correct directions. On average, they completed 47% of their turns correctly. The remaining 23% of their turns were either stopped directly after the turn, wheeled on a subsequent moving turn, or superseded by a simple movement. These results are similar to those from previous research.