Creating a User-Controllable Skiing Experience for Individuals with Tetraplegia

Outdoor recreation improves the quality of life for individuals with tetraplegia, however, a range of barriers exist in accessing these sports. This chapter describes the iterative design and field evaluation of the Tetra-Ski, a novel power-assisted ski chair for individuals who use a power wheelchair. Users control the Tetra-Ski with a joystick or sip-and-puff controller either independently or collaboratively with a tethered skier through a Shared-Control scheme. A field study of the Tetra-Ski demonstrated the usability of the system. The chapter also reflects on the Shared-Control approach to controlling Tetra-Ski, which effectively supported the unique abilities of different users. These findings inform the future application of this Shared-Control approach for use with other assistive technology and less-dependent forms of outdoor recreation. Finally, we describe some of the challenges we have faced developing and deploying a sports activity (skiing) for individuals with tetraplegia.