Wheelchair Review: Types, Operation Techniques, and Safety Aspects

Abstract

Increasing numbers of elderly, disabled, and injured people all over the world are leading them to use wheelchairs to carry out their daily activities. The right selection of the wheelchair according to the condition of the user helps to improve his/her morale during everyday life, which can lead to enhancing the therapeutic status of the user. This paper aims to clarify the different types of wheelchairs and identify the suitable type of wheelchair, operation method, and safety aspects for the user. An organized review of the literature is presented based on the collected data from the different international research projects for different wheelchairs and their technology. We are honored to present a novel classification for the different types of wheelchairs and a vision to classify the chosen wheelchair for use or research. We also illustrate guides for operating Smart Powered Wheelchairs (SW) based on different types of disabilities and needs, as well as some safety aspects of using wheelchairs. We conclude our research based on our vision that the type of wheelchair and the operating technique will depend on the condition and disability level of the user and his/her economic level. The safety and satisfaction of the user should be taken into consideration, whatever the selected type or operating technique of the wheelchair.