End user evaluation of a Kneeling Wheelchair with “on the fly” adjustable seating functions

Abstract

A “kneeling” ultralight wheelchair prototype has been developed that allows users to adjust seat position “on the fly” for different activities throughout the day. The wheelchair includes independent adjustment functions for rear seat height, front seat height (“kneeling”) and backrest angle. 

Aim: This work aimed to gather feedback about the wheelchair’s functionality and performance through end user evaluation trials. 

Methods: Eight manual wheelchair users evaluated the prototype Kneeling Wheelchair for a range of activities. User perspectives on parameters such as usability, comfort, stability and effectiveness were obtained through both open-ended and Likert-scale rating questions. 

Results: Results indicate several potential benefits of the adjustment functions of the Kneeling Wheelchair. Rear seat height adjustment may facilitate a number of activities of daily living, as well as provide benefits for comfort and social interactions. Back rest adjustment may increase comfort and stability on slopes. Front seat height adjustment may be beneficial for transfers and conducting sustained low-to-the-ground activities. While benefits of this adjustment function were described by many participants, some struggled with usability of the kneeling mechanism and rated this function less favourably than the other two. 

Conclusion: The findings of this study will inform future iterations of the Kneeling Wheelchair design and may spur future developments in wheeled mobility. In the long-term, it is anticipated that novel wheelchair solutions, such as the one described in this paper, may support improved health, quality of life and community participation for people with mobility impairments.

Implications for rehabilitation

• Wheelchairs that allow users to easily adjust seat and backrest position “on the fly” to better suit different tasks throughout the day may provide benefits such as facilitating activities of daily living.

• A front seat height adjustment feature on a new wheelchair prototype may be beneficial for transfers and conducting sustained low-to-the ground activities.

• End user evaluations can provide valuable insight to direct future design modifications and innovation.

Keywords:

• Wheelchair
• evaluation
• user testing
• dynamic seating
• mobility

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the study participants and the BCIT team for their assistance with this work.

Disclosure statement

J. Borisoff is an employee of PDG Mobility, the manufacturer of the Elevation™ wheelchair. In addition, J Borisoff is listed on the following patents related to the Elevation™ wheelchair, and has a financial interest in the sale of the Elevation™ wheelchair product:

• US 7,950,684 (licensed to PDG Mobility); US 7,845,665 (licensed to PDG Mobility);

• US 8,042,824 (licensed to PDG Mobility); US 8,801,020 (licensed to PDG Mobility).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [grant number 446973-2015], Rick Hansen Institute [grant number 2014-04], and J. Borisoff's Canada Research Chair in Rehabilitation Engineering Design [grant number 950-230997].