结论:实验室的平整地面不代表使用者实际走的路

轮椅的多数性能测试在平整、干燥、水平的实验室地面上进行。但使用者实际行进的路面是: 人行道的接缝和砖缝、路缘石、坡道、碎石路、草地、雨后的湿滑路面、冬季的积雪。

这些条件对性能的影响是实在的: 续航缩短、推行费力、稳定性下降、颠簸增加、越障困难。

而使用者拿到的产品参数多数是实验室条件下的数据,与实际体验存在落差,这个落差有时相当大。

路面条件的类型

条件 对性能的影响
光滑硬质 基准条件
粗糙硬质(沥青、水泥) 滚动阻力增加
砖石接缝 颠簸、振动、卡阻
碎石与砂土 阻力大、前轮易陷
草地与软土 阻力很大、可能陷入
坡道 爬坡负担、下坡制动
横坡 侧向稳定、方向保持
路缘与台阶 越障能力
湿滑 制动距离、防滑
积雪结冰 制动、驱动、稳定

「横坡」是容易被忽略的条件。 人行道通常有排水横坡,轮椅在横坡上会受侧向力,需要持续修正方向,这对自主驱动的使用者是额外负担。

对各项性能的影响

续航(电动)。 粗糙路面、坡道、软地面都增加能耗。实际续航可能明显低于实验室数据。

推行力(手动)。 阻力增加直接转化为使用者的体力消耗。

稳定性。 不平路面、横坡、越障时的稳定性低于平地。

制动距离。 湿滑和坡道上的制动距离增加。

振动。 颠簸传递到使用者,影响舒适和长期健康。

结构载荷。 颠簸产生的冲击载荷对结构是额外考验。

操控性。 不平路面上方向保持更困难。

「续航的落差」是使用者反馈较多的问题。 标称续航按理想条件测得,实际使用中含坡道、粗糙路面、频繁启停,续航可能只有标称值的一部分。建议给出不同条件下的续航数据,而不只给一个数字。

验证的方法

标准路面测试。 作为基准数据。

模拟路面测试。 用规定的障碍、粗糙度、坡度模拟实际条件。

实地测试。 在实际路面上测试,条件真实但重复性较差。

综合路况测试。 设计包含多种条件的测试路线。

耐久中的路面条件。 耐久试验中包含颠簸和冲击。

建议的做法是:用标准条件得到可比的基准数据,用模拟或实地条件得到反映实际的数据,两者都给出。

越障能力的考察

障碍高度。 能通过的最大障碍高度。

通过方式。 正面通过还是需要特殊技巧。

所需的力。 手动轮椅通过障碍所需的推力。

前轮与后轮。 前轮通过和后轮通过的难度不同。

通过时的稳定性。 越障过程中的倾翻风险。

障碍的形式。 垂直台阶、斜面、沟槽的难度不同。

「沟槽」是容易被忽略的障碍形式。 排水沟、伸缩缝、电梯门缝,前轮可能卡入,造成突然停止甚至使用者前倾跌出。小直径前轮尤其容易卡入。

振动与舒适

振动的传递。 从路面到座面再到使用者身体。

振动的测量。 在座面和靠背处测量振动加速度。

频率成分。 某些频率对人体的影响更大。

长期暴露。 长期振动暴露与健康的关系。

减振措施。 悬挂、坐垫、轮胎对振动的衰减。

「振动的长期影响」对每天长时间使用轮椅的人有实际意义,而这一项在常规测试中通常不涉及。对于宣称舒适或减振的产品,振动数据是实质性的支撑。

资料中应当说明的

不同条件下的性能数据。 至少给出标准条件和典型实际条件下的数据。

适用的路面条件。 产品适合什么路面、不适合什么。

越障能力。 具体的障碍高度和通过方式。

坡度限制。 上坡、下坡、横坡的限制。

湿滑条件的提示。 制动距离增加、防滑性能下降。

冬季使用的提示。 续航下降、制动变化。

「适用的路面条件」应当具体。 「适用于室内外」这样的描述帮助有限,具体到「可通过多高的台阶」「适用坡度上限」对使用者更有价值。

与产品选型的关系

路面条件的数据对产品选型有直接价值:

使用环境的评估。 使用者主要在什么环境活动。

轮径的选择。 大轮越障好但重量和尺寸增加。

轮胎的选择。 充气胎舒适、实心胎免维护,不同路面表现不同。

悬挂的必要性。 颠簸路面为主时悬挂的价值明显。

驱动方式。 前驱、中驱、后驱在不同路面上的表现不同。

建议在产品资料中说明适合的使用环境,帮助使用者和处方者做出合适的选择。

数据的呈现

不同条件下的性能数据,呈现时建议:说明测量条件;用表格对比不同条件;给出典型使用场景的综合数据;以及避免只给理想条件下的数字。

「只给理想条件的数字」是常见做法,但它造成的期望落差会转化为投诉。

耐久试验中的路面条件

耐久试验的载荷谱应当反映实际路面:

颠簸冲击。 通过接缝和障碍时的冲击载荷。

振动。 粗糙路面的持续振动。

斜向载荷。 横坡和转弯时的侧向力。

组合载荷。 实际中多种载荷同时作用。

只做平地滚动的耐久试验,载荷谱与实际差别明显,得到的寿命数据可能偏乐观。

我们的做法

做轮椅性能测试时,我们建议在标准条件之外增加典型实际条件下的测量 ——比如粗糙路面上的续航、坡道上的制动距离、横坡上的方向保持。

这些数据的价值在于它们更接近使用者的实际体验,而标称参数与实际体验的落差是售后投诉的常见来源。

越障和沟槽通过能力我们建议专门测量,特别是前轮对沟槽的通过能力 ——这是实际使用中的高频风险点。

如果你有产品需要做实际路况条件下的性能验证,可以把产品和目标使用环境发过来一起确定测试方案,或者直接联系:132 4819 8029。检测能力见服务介绍,产品分类见手动轮椅检测与电动轮椅检测,案例见案例。

English version

Conclusion. Most wheelchair performance testing takes place on a level, dry, smooth laboratory floor. The surfaces users actually travel are pavement joints and paving gaps, kerbs, ramps, gravel, grass, wet surfaces after rain and snow in winter. Those conditions affect performance materially: range shortens, pushing becomes harder, stability falls, vibration increases and obstacles become difficult. Yet the parameters users receive are mostly laboratory figures, and the gap between them and actual experience can be considerable.

Types of surface condition. Smooth hard surfaces serve as the baseline. Rough hard surfaces of asphalt and concrete increase rolling resistance. Paving joints produce jolting, vibration and catching. Gravel and sand increase resistance and trap castors. Grass and soft ground increase resistance greatly and may bog the chair down. Ramps impose climbing effort and demand braking on descent. Cross-slopes affect lateral stability and course holding. Kerbs and steps test obstacle capability. Wet surfaces lengthen braking distance and reduce grip. And snow and ice affect braking, traction and stability. Cross-slope is easily overlooked: pavements are normally cambered for drainage, and a chair on a camber experiences lateral force requiring continuous course correction, which is an additional burden for a self-propelling user.

Effects on performance. Range on powered chairs falls on rough surfaces, ramps and soft ground, so actual range may be well below laboratory figures. Push force on manual chairs rises with resistance, translating directly into the user's physical effort. Stability falls on uneven surfaces, cambers and during obstacle negotiation. Braking distance lengthens on wet surfaces and slopes. Vibration transmits jolting to the user, affecting comfort and long-term health. Structural loading increases through impact from jolting. And handling suffers, since holding a course on uneven ground is harder. The range gap draws frequent user feedback: nominal range is measured under ideal conditions while real use includes ramps, rough surfaces and frequent stopping and starting, leaving actual range a fraction of the figure. Give range data for several conditions rather than a single number.

Verification methods. Standard surface testing provides comparable baseline data. Simulated surface testing uses specified obstacles, roughness and gradients to represent real conditions. Field testing on actual surfaces is realistic while repeating poorly. Composite route testing designs a course incorporating several conditions. And durability testing should include jolting and impact. The suggested approach uses standard conditions for comparable baseline data and simulated or field conditions for realistic data, and gives both.

Examining obstacle capability. Obstacle height covers the maximum negotiable. Technique covers whether direct approach suffices or special technique is needed. Required force covers the push force a manual chair needs. Front and rear wheels differ in difficulty. Stability during negotiation covers tipping risk. And obstacle form matters, since vertical steps, ramps and gaps differ in difficulty. Gaps are the form most easily overlooked: drainage channels, expansion joints and lift door gaps can trap a castor, stopping the chair suddenly and possibly pitching the user forward. Small-diameter castors are particularly prone to this.

Vibration and comfort. Vibration transmission runs from surface through seat to the user's body. Vibration measurement records acceleration at seat and backrest. Frequency content matters, since some frequencies affect the body more. Long-term exposure relates to health. And mitigation covers the attenuation provided by suspension, cushions and tyres. Long-term vibration matters genuinely for people spending many hours daily in a wheelchair, and routine testing does not address it. For products claiming comfort or vibration reduction, vibration data provide substantive support.

What the documentation should state. Performance data under several conditions, giving at least standard and typical real conditions. Suitable surface conditions, stating what the product suits and does not. Obstacle capability, giving specific heights and techniques. Gradient limits for ascent, descent and camber. Guidance for wet conditions, covering longer braking distance and reduced grip. And guidance for winter use, covering reduced range and changed braking. State suitable surfaces specifically: a description such as suitable for indoor and outdoor use helps little, while stating the step height negotiable and the maximum gradient is genuinely useful.

How we handle it. In wheelchair performance testing we suggest adding measurement under typical real conditions alongside standard conditions: range on rough surfaces, braking distance on slopes and course holding on cambers. Such data sit closer to the user's actual experience, and the gap between nominal parameters and actual experience is a common source of after-sales complaint. We suggest measuring obstacle and gap negotiation specifically, castor performance over gaps especially, since that is a frequent real-world hazard.

Send us the product and intended environment and we will define the test approach. Phone or WeChat: +86 132 4819 8029.