Study of Anthropometry, Range of Motion, and Muscle Strength of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury or Amputation for the Design of a Driver’s Seat in Large Agricultural Equipment

Abstract

This study aims to check and compare the anthropometry, range of motion, and upper limb muscle strength of individuals with spinal cord injury or amputation in order to design a driver’s seat in a large farming machine for them to operate. We analyzed previous studies and derived 24 measurement items essential for designing the driver’s seat. For data collection, we recruited 78 people with spinal cord injury and 46 people with amputation. The collected data were classified into 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentile groups by disability type and gender, before conducting a comparative analysis. For an in-depth analysis, we performed an independent t-test on the samples to compare the individuals with spinal cord injury and the individuals with amputation in terms of disability type and gender. The results showed statistical differences as follows. In the same disability category, male subjects surpassed female subjects. In the same gender category, individuals with amputation surpassed individuals with spinal cord injury. Based on this study’s data and analysis, large farming machines can be designed by reflecting the characteristics of a wide variety of disability types.