T字型杖の形状と持ちやすさに関する機能分析

抄録

According to the Japan Statistics Bureau, 35 million people are over 65 years old (28.7% of the country population)⁽¹⁾. To assist ambulation, T-shaped walking sticks are frequently used, since they are easy to get in different kinds of stores. In this paper, the results of usability experiments using T-shaped sticks are reported. Thirteen healthy man (age 21.46±0.50 body weight 56.7±7.3 kg and height 170.7±6.0 cm) participated in this experiment, in which we analyzed relationships between easiness to grip and the stick grip shapes by using sensory evaluation and statistics. As a result of using multiple regression analysis, significant differences were shown for each stick Py length and shaft perimeter. In conclusion, three important points must be considered for designing a T-shaped walking stick: (1) The length of the grip must exceed the width of the hand when grasped, (2) design for a Py/Ny ratio of 1.88, and (3) the circumference of the shaft should not be increased. By applying these rules, we consider that it is possible to design a stick grip shape that is easy to grip.