1. Bern University of Applied Sciences
  2. School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL
  3. Research
  4. Research areas
  5. Laboratory for SCI-Mobility
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Institute for Human Centered Engineering – Laboratory for SCI-Mobility

In relation to disability, we carry out various tests on existing products. Our team is also developing innovative solutions to improve quality of life for people with reduced mobility.

Our laboratory

The SCI-Mobility laboratory aims to make it easier for people with reduced mobility to get around day to day. We test market products for users and industry. The development and prototyping of new vehicles at our lab enables us to adopt an innovative approach to improving the safety, comfort and autonomy of the persons concerned.

Various partnerships also mean the SCI-Mobility lab is a research facility very much open to the outside world. Projects aiming to revolutionise people’s rehabilitation, participation in sport and mobility using additional means of transport are currently being carried out at our lab. Combining human and machine capabilities is an integral part of our laboratory’s research plans.

Institute for Human Centered Engineering HuCE

Electronic implants, signal processing or robotics: we bring together the latest research findings from a range of disciplines to develop products for industrial enterprises and hospitals.

Services

Our lab provides the following range of services:

  • R&D in therapy and rehabilitation
  • Test and comparative evaluation of mobility assistance systems
  • Reduced mobility vehicle development and prototyping
  • R&D Research and development on man-machine relations
  • R&D in therapy equipment
  • Vehicle development project
  • Organization of events and conferences in support of disability research

Areas of expertise

  • Testing and analysis of electric drives for wheelchairs
  • Testing and measuring the rigidity of wheelchair frames
  • Measuring deformation using a strain gauge
  • Fatigue testing on vehicles for people with reduced mobility
  • Testing and measuring the electric drives of trikes, bikes and cargo bikes
  • Feasibility studies on the construction of vehicles for people with reduced mobility
  • Prototyping of such vehicles
  • Project support for the development of vehicles for people with reduced mobility

Infrastructure

Our recently built lab has the following technical infrastructure:

  • Cycle shock absorber test bench
  • Ice VTX equipped for FES stimulation
  • GO-Tryke by GBY SA equipped for FES stimulation
  • Test bench for testing bending and tensional strain in wheelchairs
  • Therapeutic wall bars
  • Strain gauge measuring equipment
  • Indoor training and gait analysis track (10m)
  • Easystand
  • Shark handbike by Sopur
  • Various manual wheelchairs
  • 3D printing system (Prusia MK3S+)

Industrial partners

Collaborations