Design, construction and testing of an innovative mechanism for manual wheelchair propulsion

The concern for people with disabilities who are users of wheelchairs has become a dynamic research area in the past several years. As part of this research, new and innovative mechanisms that give the manual wheelchair users a mechanical advantage, and allow them to operate a standard wheelchair with less effort and muscle strain are being developed.;An innovative mechanism has been conceived, designed, built, and tested. It allows the user to propel a standard wheelchair in both the push and pull strokes of the handle. This new design will allow for a more symmetric muscle development of the shoulder and upper-arm complex, and should reduce muscle (skeletal) injuries. A prototype of the innovative mechanism was built and retrofitted onto a standard manual wheelchair, and a portable wheelchair testing station was designed and fabricated to allow for human testing comparative measurements between a standard wheelchair and the innovative mechanism