Spatial Consumption and Kinematics for an Assisted Transfer in an Aircraft Lavatory

Abstract

Air travelers with mobility disabilities need greater access to onboard lavatories. To facilitate the design of compact, accessible aircraft lavatories, motion capture and spatial mapping techniques were used to investigate the effect of the wheelchair-to-toilet angle on spatial consumption and transferor kinematics during an assisted toilet transfer. Twenty-nine participants transferred a dummy within a simulated aircraft lavatory for wheelchair-to-toilet angles of 0° and 90°. The dimensions and shape of the spatial volume used, and the trunk kinematics of the transferor, differed between the 0° and 90° transfers. The smaller peak load moment arm for the 90° transfer was consistent with a lesser risk of low back injury to the transferor, suggesting that this transfer angle should be preferentially employed. The results also suggest that, by tailoring the design to a specific wheelchair-to-toilet angle, it may be possible to develop accessible lavatories that are more compact than those currently available.