Dynamic interface pressure between seated users and their wheelchairs

Little is known about the dynamic pressure distribution changes, as compared to static pressure distribution, that take place on the sitting surface of a wheelchair while one propels oneself on a level surface. An understanding of these dynamic pressures may influence the design of wheelchair seat cushions designed to minimize pressure sores. This research investigates dynamic interfacial pressure changes on the seated wheelchair user during short bursts of locomotion on a level surface;Ten nondisabled subjects sat in a sling-seat wheelchair while eleven disabled subjects used their own sling-seat wheelchairs without a cushion. Only those capable of manually propelling themselves were considered;Pneumatic bladders arranged in a flexible grid matrix (50 elements covering a 7.5 x 15 area) were instrumented with miniature piezoresistive pressure transducers and placed between the user and the wheelchair seat. One half of the subject/seat interface was instrumented. The other half was covered with one-half-inch-thick foam. Dynamic pressure distributions in the left and right halves were measured in separate trials for every subject. Each sensor was sampled at 10 Hz during the time it took the subject to traverse 25 feet from start to stop;Disability level (disabled or nondisabled), morphology (fat, thin, or muscular) and locomotion period (acceleration, coast, or deceleration) were examined for their effect on maximum pressure (magnitude and location), average pressure (magnitude and location), area above 35 mmHg (magnitude and location) and maximum deviation in the center-of-pressure. Data was with respect to static conditions. Side effect (left, right) was accounted for prior to the independent variable effects;There were effects due to disability on the smallest global average pressure, largest threshold area and largest global maximum (p ≤ 0.05). There were no morphology effects. Period of locomotion had an effect on all variables except location of largest global average, location of largest global maximum, and location of largest threshold area (p ≤ 0.001). Two-tailed t-tests of the relative dependent variables revealed that all 13 dependent variables varied with respect to the static conditions (p ≤ 0.0001) indicating a dynamic nature

LANDING DEVELOPMENT: A FIRST LOOK AT YOUNG CHILDREN

The purpose of this study was to examine sagittal and frontal views of children (n=14) aged 4-9 landing from a maximal effort vertical jump to begin a description of landing development. Video records (collected at 30 frames/sec) of the jump and landing were viewed frame by frame with Windows Movie Maker and analyzed with a simple scoring system validated to detect improper movements during landing. Findings indicated that this stop-landing task challenged balance as most landings included a step, straddled foot position, and a wide stance. Mechanisms for force absorption (knee and hip flexion) tended to occur more often in landings of older children, but incidences of knee valgus also increased with age. Further investigation may establish developmental expectations for landing and help coaches and physical educators correct potentially harmful patterns as children age and pursue more competitive sport

Dayton\u27s BEST Conceptual Design Presentation, 2017

This conceptual design presentation was given mid-semester during Spring 2017. It contains descriptions of the project team\u27s short- and long-term goals, early strategies, results from the UD Hack-a-thon, and next steps for the project

Presentation: Dayton\u27s BEST (Stander Symposium, 2017)

This is the Dayton\u27s BEST (Businesses Engaging Sustainability Together) presentation given at Stander Symposium 2017. It provides the mission, vision, and scope of the resource management project

Sustainability Survey, Dayton Regional Green Nonmember Businesses, 2017

This document is a sustainability and sharing survey intended for businesses that are not already Dayton Regional Green members. This survey includes questions similar to what is in DRG3\u27s survey. It asks questions regarding mentoring, sharing, local sourcing, energy, waste streams, and sustainability

Hackathon 2017 Project: Resource-Sharing Website

Our team was given the opportunity to pitch a concept to students attending UD’s Hackathon event on Febraury 22, 2017. One group took on the project and created the framework for a website that could be used for business connectivity and sharing. This document spells out the major takeaways from the project

Dayton\u27s BEST 2017 Project: Moving Forward

This is a summary of work for the Sustainability and Connectivity group in Dr. Kevin Hallinan\u27s 2017 Local Sustainability with Abundance course. It describes our research process over the course of the semester and some final conclusions. Additionally, it discusses how we see the project continuing beyond our work