This thesis is part of a global research project aiming at improving the autonomy of wheelchair users along an original approach based on the study of wheelchair locomotion during real life displacements. A mechanical model has been developed that links the movements of the subject's and the wheelchair centres of gravity with the forces exerted on the system. After calibrating the sensors fixed on the Wireless Wheelchair Ergometer, several field experimentations have allowed validating an estimation method of the resultant braking force and a reconstruction method of the wheelchair trajectory on a horizontal plane. Biomechanical parameters of the model have been then quantified during a real life displacement. The results showed that the subject's movements have a significant influence on the wheelchair displacement, especially when no effort is exerted on the handrims. Future developments of this study should allow identifying the relevant biomechanical parameters of wheelchair locomotion, optimising wheelchair adjustments and improving rehabilitation methods.
