Designing a Loadcell for a Walker to Measure Upper Extremities’ Forces

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Khodadadi, Mohammad | 2016

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Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
Language: Farsi
Document No: 49226 (08)
University: Sharif University of Technology
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Advisor(s): Zohoor, Hassan
Abstract:
In this project, two bidirectional loadcell are designed and fabricated to be installed on a walker. Then upper extremities’ forces and moments have been obtained. Results can be used for rehabilitation purposes in Spinal Cord Injuries and Cerebral Palsy cases. The method used in this project is as follows: First, since the commercial multidirectional loadcells are too expensive, the loadcell (and an appropriate electronic board) are fabricated. Ultimately, a complete gait analysis by means of VICON motion analysis and using inverse dynamic method has been held to measure upper extremities’ forces and moments in the wrist, elbow and shoulder. The results for a person with Spinal Cord Injury using two-wheel walker in low and high height and unwheeled walker show that there are high shoulder and elbow flexion-extension moments and also high shoulder forces in superior-inferior direction and high elbow and wrist forces in anterior-posterior directions. The results are not much different in different walker types
Keywords:
Spinal Cord Injury ; Force Sensor ; Gait Analysis ; Rehabilitation ; Instrumented Walker ; Upper Extremities Joints

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