Use of "Smart Wheelchairs" to Provide Independent Mobility to Visual and Mobility Impairments

Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Trial

Official title:

Use of "Smart Wheelchairs" to Provide Independent Mobility to Visual and Mobility Impairments

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00333762
• Other study ID #: B4065-X
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: June 2, 2006
• Last updated: October 30, 2015
• Start date: June 2006
• Est. completion date: May 2008

Study information

• Verified date: October 2015
• Source: VA Office of Research and Development
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal Government
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The goal of this project is to evaluate the Smart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS) for power wheelchairs and the Smart Power Assistance Module (SPAM) for manual wheelchairs in realistic indoor environments with target users performing realistic tasks. We will combine group trials involving individuals who have a visual impairment (but do not have a mobility impairment) with several single-case studio involving individuals who have a visual and mobility impairment. Our long-term objective is to provide independent mobility to veterans with mobility and sensory impairments.

Description:

There are currently very few mobility options for veterans who have a mobility impairment and visual impairment, and this population will grow as the number of older veteran's increases. The goal of this project is to evaluate the Smart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS) for power wheelchairs and the Smart Power Assistance Module (SPAM) for manual wheelchairs in realistic indoor environments with target users performing realistic tasks. We will combine group trials involving individuals who have a visual impairment (and may or may not have a mobility impairment) with several single-case studies involving individuals who have a visual and mobility impairment.

The key questions that will be addresses by the proposed research are:

Can smart wheelchair technology improve performance on realistic navigation tasks for individuals with visual and mobility impairments?

Will smart wheelchair technology increase the amount of independent travel by individuals with visual and mobility impairments?

Will using a smart wheelchair for an extended period of time diminish a person's ability to operate a "traditional" wheeled mobility aid?

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 4
• Est. completion date: May 2008
• Est. primary completion date: May 2008
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• All participants will be completely blind

• Participants will be able to operate a power wheelchair with joystick control

• Participants will be able to push a manual wheelchair a minimum of 300 yards

Exclusion Criteria:

• Mobility impairment

Study Design

Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Prevention

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Blindness
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injury

Intervention

Device:
• Smart Power Assistance Module (SPAM)
Experimental Power wheelchair utilized to traverse prescribed course
• Smart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS)
Experimental power wheelchair utilized to traverse prescribed course

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Atlanta VA Medical and Rehab Center, Decatur	Decatur	Georgia
United States	VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
VA Office of Research and Development

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Time to Complete Trial Wheelchair Course	Time to complete the course was recorded. The indoor course was set up in the research laboratory to include a straight path and 90 degree turns that included obstacles such as a cardboard box, a large orange cone, and a desk chair. The location of these obstacles were randomly placed in order to test whether or not the SPAM or SWCS was able to detect objects.	Two years	No

External Links

•   Click here for more information about this study: Use of "Smart Wheelchairs" to Provide Independent Mobility to Visual and Mobility Impairments