?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fd-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu%2F6412%2F&rft.title=Electric+Powered+Wheelchair+Control+with+a+Variable+Compliance+Joystick%3A+Improving+Control+of+Mobility+Devices+for+Individuals+with+Multiple+Sclerosis&rft.creator=Brown%2C+Karl+Walter&rft.description=While+technological+developments+over+the+past+several+decades+have+greatly+enhanced+the+lives+of+people+with+mobility+impairments%2C+between+10+and+40+percent+of+clients+who+desired+powered+mobility+found+it+very+difficult+to+operate+electric+powered+wheelchairs+(EPWs)+safely+because+of+sensory+impairments%2C+poor+motor+function%2C+or+cognitive+deficits+%5B1%5D.+The+aim+of+this+research+is+to+improve+control+of+personalized+mobility+for+those+with+multiple+sclerosis+(MS)+by+examining+isometric+and+movement+joystick+interfaces+with+customizable+algorithms.+A+variable+compliance+joystick+(VCJ)+with+tuning+software+was+designed+and+built+to+provide+a+single+platform+for+isometric+and+movement%2C+or+compliant%2C+interfaces+with+enhanced+programming+capabilities.The+VCJ+with+three+different+algorithms+(basic%2C+personalized%2C+personalized+with+fatigue+adaptation)+was+evaluated+with+four+subjects+with+MS+(mean+age+58.7%C3%82%C2%B15.0+yrs%3B+years+since+diagnosis+28.2%C3%82%C2%B116.1+yrs)+in+a+virtual+environment.+A+randomized%2C+two-group%2C+repeated-measures+experimental+design+was+used%2C+where+two+subjects+used+the+VCJ+in+isometric+mode+and+two+in+compliant+mode.While+still+too+early+to+draw+conclusions+about+the+performance+of+the+joystick+interfaces+and+algorithms%2C+the+VCJ+was+a+functional+platform+for+collecting+information.+Inspection+of+the+data+shows+that+the+learning+curve+may+be+long+for+this+system.+Also%2C+while+subjects+may+have+low+trial+times%2C+low+times+could+be+related+to+more+deviation+from+the+target+path.&rft.date=2007-04-24&rft.type=University+of+Pittsburgh+ETD&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fd-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu%2F6412%2F1%2Fbrownk_etd2007.pdf&rft.identifier=++Brown%2C+Karl+Walter++(2007)+Electric+Powered+Wheelchair+Control+with+a+Variable+Compliance+Joystick%3A+Improving+Control+of+Mobility+Devices+for+Individuals+with+Multiple+Sclerosis.++Master's+Thesis%2C+University+of+Pittsburgh.++++(Unpublished)++