# A Validation Protocol for an Instrumented Wheel: A Comparison with a Dual-Roller Handrim Wheelchair Ergometer

## TL;DR

This study validates a new instrumented wheel for measuring wheelchair propulsion power in real-world conditions, showing strong agreement with a standard ergometer.

## Contribution

A new validation protocol for an instrumented wheel is proposed, enabling ecological measurement of wheelchair propulsion performance.

## Key findings

- The instrumented wheel showed strong correlation with the Lode Esseda ergometer (p > 0.05).
- RMSE was less than 5%, indicating high precision across tested speeds.
- Bland–Altman plots showed good agreement, though discrepancies occurred at higher speeds.

## Abstract

Measuring the propulsion performance of sport wheelchairs in ecological conditions remains complex due to variations inherent in real-world practice. This study aims to develop a validation protocol for an instrumented wheel designed to measure propulsion power under ecological conditions. The wheel’s precision was compared to that of the Lode Esseda roller ergometer, the gold standard for measuring the force exerted on both the left and right hands. Tests were conducted at three speeds (1, 2, and 3 m/s) on a multisport wheelchair. Results show a strong correlation between the two systems, confirmed by a repeated measures ANOVA test (p > 0.05) and a root mean square error (RMSE < 5%). Bland–Altman plots reveal good agreement despite discrepancies observed at high speeds, potentially due to mechanical limits. The proposed protocol validates the instrumented wheel and highlights the importance of multi-speed evaluation to ensure valid measurements in ecological conditions.