Quantitative Measurement of the Pressure and Shear Stress Acting on the Body of a Wheelchair User Using a Wearable Sheet-Type Sensor: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

To provide a safer sitting environment for wheelchair users, it is important to quantitatively measure the forces acting on the contact surface between the seat and the person in the wheelchair. In addition to the pressure acting on the buttocks, shear forces have received particular attention in recent years; however, measuring shear force is more difficult than measuring pressure. To obtain this measurement, a thin and flexible sensor that can be used in a natural state on a wheelchair is needed. Therefore, we constructed a measurement system using our previously developed wearable sheet-type sensor (0.9 mm thick). In this study, preliminary tests were conducted using human dummies before testing on humans. Sensors were placed in four locations on the humanoid dummy’s back and buttocks, and the electric wheelchair was tilted and reclined five times each. The results showed that the sensor output pattern was reproducible and valid enough to proceed to the next step. However, the shear force in the internal and external directions was greater than expected, which indicates that the equipment and testing methods must be reviewed. On the basis of the results obtained in this preliminary study, preparations will be made for testing on human subjects.