Blindness, Spinal Cord Injury
Conditions
Keywords
aging, blindness, wheelchairs, spinal cord injury
Brief summary
The goal of this project is to evaluate the Smart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS) for power wheelchairs and the Smart Power Assistance Module (SPAM) for manual wheelchairs in realistic indoor environments with target users performing realistic tasks. We will combine group trials involving individuals who have a visual impairment (but do not have a mobility impairment) with several single-case studio involving individuals who have a visual and mobility impairment. Our long-term objective is to provide independent mobility to veterans with mobility and sensory impairments.
Detailed description
There are currently very few mobility options for veterans who have a mobility impairment and visual impairment, and this population will grow as the number of older veteran's increases. The goal of this project is to evaluate the Smart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS) for power wheelchairs and the Smart Power Assistance Module (SPAM) for manual wheelchairs in realistic indoor environments with target users performing realistic tasks. We will combine group trials involving individuals who have a visual impairment (and may or may not have a mobility impairment) with several single-case studies involving individuals who have a visual and mobility impairment. The key questions that will be addresses by the proposed research are: Can smart wheelchair technology improve performance on realistic navigation tasks for individuals with visual and mobility impairments? Will smart wheelchair technology increase the amount of independent travel by individuals with visual and mobility impairments? Will using a smart wheelchair for an extended period of time diminish a person's ability to operate a traditional wheeled mobility aid?
Interventions
DEVICESmart Power Assistance Module (SPAM)
Experimental Power wheelchair utilized to traverse prescribed course
DEVICESmart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS)
Experimental power wheelchair utilized to traverse prescribed course
Sponsors
VA Office of Research and Development
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* All participants will be completely blind * Participants will be able to operate a power wheelchair with joystick control * Participants will be able to push a manual wheelchair a minimum of 300 yards
Exclusion criteria
* Mobility impairment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Complete Trial Wheelchair Course | Two years | Time to complete the course was recorded. The indoor course was set up in the research laboratory to include a straight path and 90 degree turns that included obstacles such as a cardboard box, a large orange cone, and a desk chair. The location of these obstacles were randomly placed in order to test whether or not the SPAM or SWCS was able to detect objects. |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Arm 1: SWCS and SPAM Subjects traversed a prescribed route using electric powered wheelchairs
Smart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS) :
Smart Power Assistance Module (SPAM) : | 4 |
| Total | 4 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Arm 1: SWCS and SPAM |
|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 4 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 4 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 0 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 4 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk |
|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | — / — |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 4 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 4 |
Outcome results
Primary
Time to Complete Trial Wheelchair Course
Time to complete the course was recorded. The indoor course was set up in the research laboratory to include a straight path and 90 degree turns that included obstacles such as a cardboard box, a large orange cone, and a desk chair. The location of these obstacles were randomly placed in order to test whether or not the SPAM or SWCS was able to detect objects.
Time frame: Two years
Population: No data was collected.