Biomechanics and Motor Control of Normal Young Adults Performing a Wheel Chair Wheelie Balance Task

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to describe kinetically and kinematically the control patterns of wheelchair wheelies, to clarify the relation between motion of the wheelchair and floor reaction force, to reveal movement strategies of the task, and to find useful parameters to understand the control and learning process of the skill. 10 healthy female Japanese students who were able to perform a 2-min. stationary wheelie participated in the experiments. Analysis of the 20-sec. wheelie performances suggested that (1) Center of Pressure is not a fundamental parameter for wheelie balance control, but may be the result of the control, (2) the anteroposterior component of the floor reaction force is a fundamental parameter for analyzing the control of a wheelchair wheelie, and (3) angular velocity is used in the control of wheelie balance as a cue.