Hello again! HERL would like to thank everyone for the feedback we have received from our readers, colleagues, and research participants regarding our new newsletter. This is only our second issue, but we’ve been pleased at the positive reactions you have shared with us. As always, we are open to new ideas on how to disseminate our research findings as well as the latest news on what’s going on at HERL.The Human Engineering Research Laboratories investigators, students, and staff have been very busy lately! We held a center Advisory Board Meeting on March 14th and 15th to evaluate our progress on our VA Center of Excellence for Wheelchair and Related Technology and the University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury. We invited a panel of fellow researchers, research participants, and delegates from organizations representative of our research such as Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Keystone Paralyzed Veterans of America (KPVA), and Eastern Paralyzed Veterans of America (EPVA). The advisory board provided valuable insight and suggestions on the many research and administrative projects going on at HERL during the two day meeting.
The HERL students and faculty have also been busy getting ready to attend the 2002 RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) conference on June 27-July 1 in Minneapolis. Twenty-five papers from HERL were accepted for presentation at the conference; four HERL students won the RESNA-Whitaker Foundation Student Scientific Paper award and one student earned an honorable mention. We have featured the abstracts from these award-winning RESNA conference papers in this issue of the newsletter.
Immediately after the RESNA conference, HERL investigators and students will be rushing off to the 22nd National Veterans Wheelchair Games from July 9-13th in Cleveland. HERL has attended the games for the past three years to help disseminate our research as well as recruit wheelchair users outside of Pittsburgh to participate in our research studies.
We hope you enjoy this issue of the newsletter and we thank you for your continued support!
Purpose of the Work. In response to studies demonstrating the negative effects of whole-body vibrations, manufactures of manual wheelchairs have added rear suspension elements to their designs. The resulting wheelchairs have been brought to market; however, no data are available to assess their effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to determine whether suspension wheelchairs reduce the transmission of whole-body vibrations.
Procedures. Six different manual wheelchairs, three rear suspension chairs (Colours Boing, Invacare A6S, and Quickie XTR) and three folding x-brace chairs (E&J Epic, Invacare Action Xtra, and Quickie 2) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of rear suspension in reducing shock transmissibility. A test pilot was asked to descend three different height curbs (50mm, 100mm, and 150mm) with each of the six wheelchairs. Data was collected from an accelerometer, mounted on the seat of each wheelchair.
Results. Statistical analysis showed no difference between the accelerations of suspension and folding x-brace wheelchairs during the curb descents. It was suggested that due to the poor alignment of the suspension units during the curb descents, the suspension chairs were unable to reduce shock vibrations. The Quickie XTR was the only chair that demonstrated a noticeable level of vibration reduction; however in doing so, it shifted the frequencies of the seat accelerations into a potentially harmful range for wheelchair users.
Relevance to wheelchair users: Throughout the course of daily activities, wheelchair users experience quick, high magnitude loads during curb descents, thereby increasing their vulnerability to secondary spinal injuries. Recognition of this situation has resulted in recent approaches to vibration reduction. However current manual suspension wheelchairs do not provide users with improved vibration reduction during curb descents. 
Purpose of the Work. The objective of this study was to characterize wheelchair propulsion in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Procedures. A biomechanical analysis of wheelchair propulsion was completed in individuals with MS and in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), with 15 subjects in each group. The MS and SCI groups used their own manual wheelchair when possible. Otherwise, they were given a wheelchair from the laboratory to use for the testing. Measurements were taken using bilateral SmartWheels, capable of measuring three-dimensional applied forces at the pushrim during wheelchair propulsion. Each subject performed a 1m/sec speed trial for twenty seconds.
Results. Our study found that, when compared to individuals with paraplegia, individuals with MS
propelled their wheelchairs at a slower velocity, despite feedback to maintain speed. In addition, they produced higher propulsive forces. A quantifiable amount of energy was lost at the beginning and end of the push phase of propulsion in individuals with MS. Further research should investigate ways in which clinicians can help individuals with MS become more functional manual wheelchair users.
Purpose of the work. Manual wheelchair propulsion has been recognized as a strenuous method of locomotion. Due to this characteristic, inappropriate wheelchair propulsion technique might result in overuse injuries and reduced efficiency. The purpose of this study was to observe trunk movement adaptations when manual wheelchair users (MWUs) were faced with varying propulsion conditions.
Subjects/Procedures. Eight Manual wheelchair users participated in this study. The participants were tested on a wheelchair dynamometer, which was used to simulate various propulsion conditions. A three-dimensional camera system was used to record the subject’s right acromion process and wheelchair hub to identify their coordinate positions in a global frame of reference during four different propulsion conditions. Degree of trunk oscillation was calculated as the difference between maximum and minimum trunk flexion angle for each stroke.
Results. Our results indicated that MWUs leaned their trunk forward to meet the physical demands of increased load and speed. More trunk range of motion at the faster speed condition was found.
Relevance to Wheelchair Users. Our findings indicate that MWUs use trunk movement adaptation when facing difficult propulsion conditions. Information regarding the extent of trunk movement during propulsion could be valuable in understanding the relationship between mechanical efficiency and propulsion style.
Purpose of the work.
The goal of this study was to determine if a modified 50th percentile male Hybrid III anthropomorphic test dummy (HTD) has a similar dynamic response as a wheelchair user with a spinal cord injury during low speed, low impact scenarios.
Procedures. A HTD typically used in vehicle crash testing was modified to simulate a person with lower extremity paralysis. The test dummy was placed in a Quickie P100 powered wheelchair. The wheelchair was driven at three speeds and three braking conditions were used to slow the wheelchair to a stop. The trunk motion of the HTD was recorded and compared to the motion of a wheelchair user with T8 paraplegia under the same wheelchair braking conditions.
Results. The trunk angular motion (displacement, velocity, and acceleration) of the wheelchair user and HTD were similar over a range of speeds and braking impulses. This indicates that the test dummy can be a suitable surrogate for a wheelchair user in low speed dynamic studies. 
Michael L. Boninger graduated from Ohio State University with both a medical doctorate and a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He received his specialty training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan Medical Center where he served as Chief Resident. After his residency program, he completed a National Institutes for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Fellowship in Assistive Technology at the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, Dr. Boninger serves as the Medical Director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories and the director of the University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury (UPMC-SCI), funded by NIDDR. In addition, he is the Executive Director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Center for Assistive Technology and Associate Professor and Research Director in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Boninger also holds appointments in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology and the Department of Bioengineering and works as a physician researcher for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sean A. Reeves earned his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of Texas in Arlington in 1999. In September of 2000 he joined the Human Engineering Research Laboratories and the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology (RST) at the University of Pittsburgh. He is pursuing a Masters of Science in RST with a concentration in biomechanics. Sean has worked on HERL research projects such as Road Loads II, the MS study, and currently has a lead role in the GAMECycle project. GAMECycle is an upper extremity exercise device for wheelchair users that uses computer game-play as a motivator to encourage adherence to an exercise program. Sean won the RESNA-Whitaker Student Scientific Paper Award in 2002 for his submission on the GAMECycle project entitled, “Determining the Effectiveness of the GAMECycle System as an Exercise Device” (abstract appeared in the January 2002 newsletter). He expects to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh in December of 2002. Sean also holds a certificate in Personal Training, and enjoys running, and golfing in his spare time.
In March, the Human Engineering Research Labs learned of a great tragedy: Tom O’Connor, a close friend and recent doctoral graduate, had passed away in Houston, Texas. Tom worked on his Master’s degree with Rory Cooper at the California State University of Sacramento. He came to HERL to earn his Ph.D. when Dr. Cooper joined the University of Pittsburgh in 1993. Tom was a student at the Human Engineering Research Labs from 1995 until the spring of 2001, when he earned his Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science and Technology. After graduation, he took an Assistant Professor position at Texas Technical University in Lubbock, Texas. Tom moved on to work with Dr. Arthur Sherwood at the Houston VA Rehabilitation Research and Development service soon after. He was the author of six peer-reviewed scientific journal publications.
Tom’s HERL dissertation research project was the GAMEWheels, a device that allows a wheelchair user to play video games by propelling their wheelchair on a roller system. The practicality of the GAMEWheels system is to encourage exercise and improve cardiovascular fitness among people with disabilities. Tom developed a close rapport with the people who participated in the GAMEWheels study as well as the participants of many other HERL studies. Being a person with a disability himself, Tom had a unique understanding of both the research as well as the people that participated in it. Tom, who was known for his wise-cracking, jokester persona, was a close friend to many students, faculty, and staff and was well liked by many employees at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. 
The National Veterans Wheelchair Games were started in 1981 by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA). The VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) have co-sponsored the games, which has become the largest annual wheelchair sporting event in the country, since 1985. The goal of the games is to introduce veterans with disabilities to a variety of wheelchair sports as well as provide competition for experienced veteran wheelchair athletes. The annual competition lasts a week and incorporates over 15 events, including archery, track and field, swimming, weightlifting, basketball, and quad rugby.
Dayne Greene, one of our first research subjects, has always been willing and eager to participate in studies at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories. Dayne earned his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1999 and his M. Ed. From Dusquesne University in 2001. In the summer of 2002, he moved to Kapaa on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Dayne works as a counseler at Kapaa Middle School, where he is responsible for academic advising, behavior modification, and peer-mediation. Dayne enjoys photography, music production, fishing, traveling, writing, and cooking.