  The placement of grab bars for elderly users is based largely on ADA building
codes and does not reflect the large differences in height, mobility, and
muscle power between individual persons. The goal of this study is to see if
there are any correlations between an elderly user's preferred handlebar pose
and various demographic indicators, self-rated mobility for tasks requiring
postural change, and biomechanical markers. For simplicity, we consider only
the case where the handlebar is positioned directly in front of the user, as
this confines the relevant body kinematics to a 2D sagittal plane. Previous
eldercare devices have been constructed to position a handlebar in various
poses in space. Our work augments these devices and adds to the body of
knowledge by assessing how the handlebar should be positioned based on data on
actual elderly people instead of simulations.
