A customized hand cycle brake system to improve safety and performance for quadriplegic users

Quadriplegic hand cycles currently on the market possess brakes that are located in areas that create a safety hazard due to the user´s limited hand functionality. The customized mechanical and electronic braking system presented here will allow for enhanced performance, eliminating this safety issue. To ensure the effectiveness of the system, a minimum force test was performed on the mechanical brake. It was found that a force of 10 lb was required to activate the brake, which is producible by quadriplegics. The electronic brake sensor was shown to be very effective after 50 cycles of the repeatability tests, passing the Flexiforce´s linearity requirement of +/- 3%. Therefore, the two in one braking system proves to be effective in stopping the wheel as well as meeting the needs of the quadriplegic users.