Are manual wheelchair rear wheel rolling resistance and friction (in)-dependent of load, tire pressure, and camber angle? An evaluation across different surfaces

Abstract

Purpose: Rolling resistance of manual wheelchair (MWC) has been widely studied, and while many studies have focused on the effects of rear-wheel configurations and surface types, few studies have comprehensively explored a broad range of surfaces and their interactions with wheel configurations. Additionally, rear wheel grip (i.e., friction) remains underexplored.

Materials and methods: To assess the specific impact of rear-wheel configurations on both rolling resistance and grip, a deceleration cart with four identical wheels was developed. The rolling resistance and static friction of three tire types were tested across two loads, four camber angles, three inflation pressures, and seven surface types, including sports and everyday surfaces. Measurements were obtained using wireless inertial measurement units during deceleration tests and using a handheld dynamometer during grip tests, following an experimental design approach.

Results: Statistical analysis identified surface type as the most influential factor on rolling resistance and static friction, with tire pressure and camber angle also having significant surface-dependent effects.

Conclusion: The use of the deceleration cart enabled precise determination of the specific rolling resistance properties and static friction coefficients of MWC wheels, facilitating the creation of a dataset that characterizes the rolling resistance and grip properties of wheels on various surfaces.

Keywords: Wheelchair; friction; rear wheels; rehabilitation; rolling resistance; settings; wheeled mobility.