An inertial sensor-based comprehensive analysis of manual wheelchair user mobility during daily life in people with SCI

Abstract

This study employed three inertial measurement units to quantify the mobility characteristics of 12 manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries (SCI) over 7 consecutive days, revealing nuanced patterns of daily movement. Mobility metrics were calculated for measures of distance traveled, movement duration, and speed. A mobility profile was created to understand patterns of movement behaviors. Participants moved 65.54 ± 21.81 min daily, traveled 1488.15 ± 700.09 meters at an average speed of 0.43 ± 0.16 m/s, and executed approximately 910 turns and 428 starts/stops per day. Mobility predominantly occurred in short bouts (<215 seconds), accounting for 94% of the mobility bouts. Mean mobility characteristics remained consistent across participants despite individual variability in high-resolution metrics, including starts/stops, turns and navigated slopes exceeding the ADA recommended ratio. This methodology provides insights into real-world manual wheelchair mobility and future research could inform rehabilitation strategies and assistive technology development. These methods underscore the critical importance of personalized, high-resolution mobility assessments in understanding and optimizing manual wheelchair users’ functional independence and quality of life.