Ergonomic multi-speed wheelchair
Official title: Multi-speed Ergonomic Wheelchair
Funded at Minneapolis VA Medical Center · NIH-11446451 · Data updated 2026-11-12
An adjustable, multi-speed ergonomic wheelchair aims to help Veterans with spinal cord injury use less energy and move more easily.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Minneapolis VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003664-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11446451 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans with spinal cord injury or disorder who use and can self-propel a manual wheelchair are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who rely on power/electric wheelchairs, cannot self-propel, or whose shoulder/arm function is too limited to use a manual chair likely would not benefit from this device.
What this research studies
You would try a manual wheelchair that moves the hand rims forward using a chain drive so pushes happen along a longer, more comfortable arc while keeping the big wheels behind for stability. The wheelchair has changeable gearing so you can use a lower gear for starting or rolling over carpet and a higher gear for steady pushes on flat ground. In a crossover test, 18 Veterans with spinal cord injury will try three gear settings (low, normal, high) while researchers measure the work at the pushrims and the calories you burn. The goal is to compare how different gear ratios affect how much effort it takes to move and how far you can go per unit of energy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce the physical effort needed to push a manual wheelchair and improve daily mobility and independence.
How similar studies have gone: Previous ergonomic handrim designs have shown promise for reducing propulsion effort, but using adjustable multi-speed gearing in a manual wheelchair is a newer idea that has not been fully studied in people.
Where this research is happening
-
Minneapolis VA Medical Center
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Looft, John M — Minneapolis VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Looft, John M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.