RED LAB
WheelTrak
WheelTrak enables preventative care of wheelchairs and reduces frequent wheelchair breakdowns.
WheelTrak
Context
WheelTrak enables preventive wheelchair care by tracking wheelchair usage through chair-mounted sensors that measure travel distance and movement patterns. Usage data are securely transmitted to the cloud and analyzed alongside wheelchair failure events to identify relationships between travel exposure and component breakdowns. This information supports proactive maintenance strategies that improve wheelchair reliability and reduce adverse health outcomes associated with unexpected equipment failures.
Objective
WheelTrak aims to analyze wheelchair travel exposure by computing and matching travel distance from chair-mounted sensors, then comparing that exposure to failure rates (e.g., caster/front-wheel breaks). The sensor tracks wheelchair usage such as capturing wheelchair movement/travel to quantify distance (and related usage patterns) and transmits the data to a secure cloud.
Contact
WheelTrak App
The WheelTrak app provides regular notifications and delivers maintenance content to wheelchair users based on how and where wheelchairs are used.
WheelTrak Sensor
The sensor tracks wheelchair usage and transmits the data to a secure cloud.
Learn more about WheelTrak
Our Team
Anand Mhatre
Muyun Zhao
Kayden Gill
Funding
Current Funding:
Project: Designing Wheelchair Servicing Intervention
By Repair Technicians Based on Real-World Wheelchair Usage Data
Funding Amount: FY 24 $199,587; FY 25 $ 197,534; FY 26 $ 198,950
Sponsor: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR #90IFRE0087)
Past Funding:
Project: Commercialization of WheelTrak
Funding
Amount: $3,000
Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute (NSF #IIP1734751 subaward)
Project: Development of a smartphone app for wheelchair maintenance
Dates: 10/01/2019 – 05/31/2020
Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh Year of Pitt Global Program
Project: Development and Evaluation of a Wheelchair Maintenance Alert Application for Elderly Wheelchair Users
Funding
Amount: $250,000
Sponsor: Johnson & Johnson Innovation/National Academy of Medicine Healthy Longevity Accelerator Awardee
Project: Development and Community Testing of an Internet of Things Device for Predicting Wheelchair Failures and Guiding Maintenance
Funding Amount: $149,953
Sponsor: Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Research Foundation
Project: Development of a Wheelchair Maintenance Alert Application for Elderly Wheelchair Users
Funding
Amount: $75,877
Sponsor: National Institute of Aging (NIA) (R03 #AG069836)
Project: Characterization of the wheelchair wear index
Funding
Amount: $25,000
Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (NIH #UL1TR001857 subaward)
Related Publications
Boccardi A., Wu F., Pearlman J., & Mhatre A. (2022). Older Wheelchair Users Recommend Age-Friendly Design Improvements to a Wheelchair Maintenance App: Mixed Methods Development Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research: Aging, 5(4):e39301. doi:10.2196/39301. PMID: 36256830 PMCID: 9627462
Ruffing J. J., Schmeler M. R., Schein R. M., & Mhatre A. (2022). A cross-sectional descriptive analysis of complex rehabilitation technology (CRT) supplier opinions on the current state of wheelchair repair services. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1-6. doi:10.1080/17483107.2022.2121007. PMID: 36094416
Featured in Research in Focus – National Rehabilitation Information Center.
James A. M., Pramana G., Schein R. M., Mhatre A., Pearlman J., Macpherson M., & Schmeler M. R. (2022). A descriptive analysis of wheelchair repair registry data. Assistive Technology, 1-9. doi:10.1080/10400435.2022.2044407. PMID: 35200093
Mhatre A., Pearlman J., Schmeler M., Krider B., & Fried J. (2022). Community-based wheelchair caster failures call for improvements in quality and increased frequency of preventative maintenance. Spinal Cord: Nature, 60(1), 58-62. doi:10.1038/s41393-021-00689-3.
a. Featured in DIRECTIONS – National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers.
b. Featured in Research in Focus – National Rehabilitation Information Center.
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