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Ch09-I044963.fm Page 42 Tuesday, July 25, 2006 11:58 AM
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At this experiment assumed on the simulated flat straight road, we tested the influence of inertia as one
of the resistances. As the result, although we confirmed human-wheelchair system has an adjustment
element, we hardly found what constitute the adjustment element to inertia. The wheelchair with
power-assist function considering the inertia was and reported by Uchiyama et al (1997) and this
system has inertia as virtual mass only release time of hand-rim operation. However this
development was on a trial and error and we consider that design guideline of the function of its kind
treats quantitatively is better. For this reason, our future research is that human adjustment element
based on model decides quantitatively the relationship with propelling motion and heart rate reserve.

CONCLUSION

We made an equipment of the propelling test for the self-propelled wheelchair that enable human to
realize changes occurred by the propelling situation. We found experimentally the human basic
characteristic that is the influence of propulsion and the adjustment of motion by the inertia in the
follow-up test that was used the wheelchair with hand-rims.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Some parts of this report have been helped by the research fund on "Living Assistance Technology for
Improvement of Quality of Life" supported by ORDIST (Organization for Research and Development
of Innovative Science and Technology) in Kansai University. Authors would like to thank staff of
the practical factory of Kansai University for their technical support. And we also thank many
colleagues for their support during our work.

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