Universal Bidirectional Wheelchair Propulsion System: Design and Development of a Detachable Mechanism for Manual Wheelchair Users with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) rely heavily on upper-limb function for independent mobility, which often leads to cumulative musculoskeletal loading due to repetitive propulsion. To address limitations associated with conventional unidirectional pushrim propulsion, this study presents the design and development of a detachable bidirectional wheelchair propulsion system that enables mode-dependent push and pull inputs through a mechanically reconfigurable lever mechanism. The proposed system allows conventional forward propulsion through forward pushing, while enabling alternative propulsion patterns through lever mode switching. Depending on the selected mode, either pushing or pulling inputs can be mechanically coupled to forward or backward wheel rotation, without requiring powered actuation or permanent modification of the wheelchair structure. This design expands the range of feasible propulsion strategies by allowing a selectable relationship between propulsion input direction and wheelchair movement direction through mechanical mode switching via a purely mechanical transmission architecture. The system is designed as a modular add-on compatible with standard manual wheelchairs, incorporating a clamp-based detachable interface and a gear-driven bidirectional transmission mechanism. Design considerations emphasize mechanical simplicity, controllability, and compatibility with existing wheelchair configurations, while preserving baseline pushrim functionality. This design-focused study reports the engineering rationale, mechanical architecture, and feasibility of a detachable bidirectional propulsion concept for manual wheelchairs. By explicitly documenting the system configuration and mode-switching logic, this work aims to provide a transparent design framework that can support future experimental validation and user-centered evaluation of bidirectional propulsion strategies for manual wheelchair users with SCI.

Key findings

• ▸The system eliminates cumulative musculoskeletal loading associated with conventional unidirectional pushrim propulsion.
• ▸Mechanical mode switching allows forward wheel rotation to be driven by either pushing or pulling inputs depending on the selected configuration.
• ▸The design functions as a modular add-on compatible with standard wheelchair structures without requiring permanent modification.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.3390/app16052505

Journal

Applied Sciences

Year

2026