  This study with a T-52 class wheelchair racing athlete aimed to combine
quantitative biomechanical measurements to the athlete's perception to design
and test different prototypes of a new kind of rigid gloves. Three personalized
rigid gloves with various, fixed wrist extension angles were prototyped and
tested on a treadmill in a biomechanics laboratory. The prototype with 45{\deg}
wrist extension was the athlete's favourite as it reduced his perception of
effort. Biomechanical assessment and user-experience data indicated that his
favourite prototype increased wrist stability throughout the propulsion cycle
while maintaining a very similar propulsion technique to the athlete's prior
soft gloves. Moreover, the inclusion of an innovative attachment system on the
new gloves allowed the athlete to put his gloves on by himself, eliminating the
need for external assistance and thus significantly increasing his autonomy.
This multidisciplinary approach helped to prototype and develop a new rigid
personalized gloves concept and is clearly a promising avenue to tailor
adaptive sports equipment to an athlete's needs.
