Evaluation of EMG for Electric Wheelchair Designs for Disabled People

Abstract

Electric wheelchairs that are in use have heavy weight and are difficult to maneuver in the home. Therefore, a study to establish simple movement in the home of people who have difficulty with walking because of advanced age was designed and developed. In this study, the following points were examined with 5 physically unimpaired people: (1) levels of back and arm muscle activity at the time of sitting⁄standing movement with various seat heights, and (2) a comparison of the muscle load of the arms during the operation of a manual wheelchair and an electric wheelchair. In the results, for the ergonomic design of a wheelchair for people having difficulty walking and who cannot use the muscular strength of lower limbs, the height of the seat of the wheelchair should be set to around 42-44cm without lowering it. Also, the useful support of the arms at the time of sitting⁄standing from the wheelchair should be given attention.