• Archives of design research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.209-218
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• 2003

The increase of wheelchair users due to the rapid growth of elderly population, traffic accidents, and industrial disaster etc. becomes a major issue in our society. Thus, the Convenience Promotion Law was enforced to facilitate the use and installation of convenient facilities for the disabled, the elderly and pregnant women. Currently, not only newly built buildings but also roads and parks are accessed and used by all the people without any hindrance. In contrast to this, so far not many studies on residential space design for wheelchair users have been carried out except for public facilities. So, wheelchair users have to bear the inconvenience in their houses made upon the standards of the general people. Therefore, it is necessary to develop design guideline considering the physical characteristics of wheelchair users and their family members to lead a convenient life. This study was conducted in universal design perspective and intended to establish design guideline of convenient residential space for wheelchair users and general people. To accomplish the objective, surveys for wheelchair users' actual conditions and needs, and video observation were carried out.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

In the rapidly aging society, the number of wheelchair users is increasing steadily. On the other hand, it is almost impossible for a disabled person using a wheelchair to use express buses. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an express bus that can secure the rights of wheelchair users. For these special types of express buses, it is required to develop a special entrance and lift system. The development of a wheelchair entrance system for the express buses requires design modification, retrofit, and reinforcement of the bus frame. This study evaluated the structural integrity of an entrance system for wheelchair users using a finite element method. Torsional stiffness and modal analysis were performed through structural analysis. Through sensitivity analysis, optimization was performed to reduce the weight of the frame. These results on the wheelchair entrance system are expected to be utilized in the vehicle modification and welfare industries.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.415-424
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effects of various wheelchair handling directions on the upper limb muscle activities of wheelchair attendants while climbing a ramp. Methods: For the study participants, healthy males over 20 years of age were chosen, and the order of the direction of wheelchair handle grip was determined using a randomized method. The handling directions for pushing the wheelchair up a ramp included a general grip with ulnar deviation, a medial grip with wrist pronation, and a neutral grip with a neutral wrist. The muscle activities in the participants' upper limbs were measured using surface electromyography. For statistical data processing, SPSS 18.0 was used to perform repeated measures ANOVA in order to compare the muscle activity among the intervention groups. A contrast test was also conducted among the participants. The significance level (${\alpha}$) was set to 0.05. Results: There was a significant difference between groups using a general grip and a medial grip in the biceps brachii, triceps brachii, and flexor carpi radialis muscles (p<0.05). There was also a significant difference between using a general grip and a neutral grip in the biceps brachii and flexor carpi radialis muscles (p<0.05), and there was a significant difference between using a medial grip and a neutral grip in the biceps brachii and extensor carpi radialis brevis muscles (p<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, the wheelchair assistants' wrist muscle activity was the lowest with a neutral grip while ascending a ramp. Accordingly, this study proposes that wheelchair assistants push wheelchairs up ramps with a neutral grip.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.927-928
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• 2011

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2004.11c
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• pp.6-8
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• 2004

The objective of this paper is to develop a powered wheelchair controller based on EMG for users with high-level spinal cord injury using a proportional control scheme. An advantage of EMG is relative convenience of acquisition by a surface electrode to users. Direction information can be easily extracted from two EMG channels and force information can be acquired by proportional relationship between the amplitude of EMG and user's power, respectively. Pattern classification algorithm is a threshold method with a supervised learning process. Furthermore, the emergency situation can be avoided using an interrupt function. We evaluated the performance of powered wheelchair controller by navigating a pre-defined path with three non-handicapped people. The results show the feasibility of EMG as an input interface for powered wheelchair and other devices for the seriously disabled.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.873-882
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• 2003

The purpose of the study is altering ready-made garments for the wheelchair users. Some alterations ready-made garments suggested for the wheelchair users are applicable to the physical conditions using the wheelchair, which create limitations in the use of clothing. Alterations ready-made garments were suggested 3 parts of the altering on the tops and 3 parts of the pants. Detachable sleeves at the elbow, adding the action pleats on the shoulder and back openings with zipper were adapted on the tops. The altering crotch length from the center back, changing position of the pocket and adding the pleats at the knee were adapted on the pants. The snap-tapes, zipper and hook & eye were used for the altering the ready-made garments.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.92-98
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• 2008

This paper is concerned with the designing and making power standing wheelchair. This wheelchair is studied based on the mechanical and electrical engineering concepts and theories. The mechanical theories are composed of statics and dynamics knowledges that are related with moving and standing position. Basically the static and dynamic stability is the most important element in designing and making the real size model. The linear actuator is used in the standing mechanism and the joystick controlled by hand is attached on the arm rest. The real size model is made and also investigated through the design specifications by test drive. Finally, this paper proves the possibility of commerical production of power standing wheelchair.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.77.6-77
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• 2002

This paper describes a motored wheelchair that is suitable for disabled persons. A distinguish feature of our wheelchair is that a closed link mechanism is introduced. This link module changes conventional motored wheelchairs to computer controlled ones. It means that using intelligent functions of the computer, conventional motored wheelchairs can be navigated like an intelligent robot. Three examples of intelligent navigation functions are demonstrated. The first one is a motored wheelchair controlled by the head movement of the operator. The second one is a motored wheelchair with the image processing. Last one is a motored wheelchair with the remote sensing function.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.66-71
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• 2006

Some wheelchair users with neuromuscular disorders experience involuntary extensor thrusts, which may cause injuries via impact with the wheelchair, cause the user to slide out of the wheelchair seat, and damage the wheelchair. Knowledge of the human-generated forces during an extensor thrust is of great importance in devising safer, more comfortable wheelchairs. This paper presents an efficient method for identifying human-generated forces during an extensor thrust. We used an inverse dynamic approach with a three-link human body model and a system for measuring human body motion. We developed an experimental system that determines the angular motion of each human body segment and the force at the footrest, which was used to overcome the mathematical indeterminacy of the problem. The proposed method was validated experimentally, illustrating the force-identification process during an extensor thrust.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.777-789
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of using surface electromyographic signals as a measure of muscle fatigue during the wheelchair propulsion. Subjects performed wheelchair exercise tests on a motor-driven treadmill with a constant-velocity of 1.25 m/sec. During each test, the raw EMC signals were acquired from the surface electrodes attached on the belly of five muscle groups: biceps brachii, pectoralis major. deltoid, triceps brachii, and trapezius. The median power frequency(MPF), and the root mean square(RMS) amplitude were calculated for each cyclic contraction in order to quantify muscle fatigue. During the wheelchair propulsion, the MPF decreased and the RMS increased in the trapezius and deltoid. However, the decreasing MPF and the increasing RMS also fluctuated severly during dynamic muscle contractions. Therefore, the MPF and RMS values should be estimated with well-designed methods and used with caution to quantify muscle fatigue during wheelchair propulsion.