Technological and physiological characteristics of a newly developed hand-lever drive system for wheelchairs.

It may be concluded that, by use of the newly developed Swing-Turn-gear system, mobility of the disabled person using wheelchairs outdoors can be improved. The qualities of the drive gear in push and pull action, the free wheel, the full selection of frequency, and the range of moving the hand levers represent important progress in wheelchair engineering research. The handrim drive is an alternative, especially for indoor use. But, for the first time, an indoor wheelchair can be offered as a combination vehicle for both indoor and outdoor use. The acceptance of the new wheelchair integrated Swing-Turn-gear is much better than the conspicuous hand-lever drive in standard outdoor wheelchairs. At present, the German wheelchair manufacturer, MEYRA Vlotho, is preparing the new hand-lever drive system for production. Initially, the drive system will be adapted to a standard indoor wheelchair made by this company. Development of a lever drive system is also in progress in the United States, which employs force transmission characteristics in one direction.