Smart Powered Wheelchair Platform Design and control for People with Severe Disabilities

This paper deals with various ways of controlling an electrically powered wheelchair beyond the usual method involving a manual joystick. The main focus is on the newest version of HaWCoS – the "HAnds-free Wheelchair COntrol System" – allowing persons with severe disabilities to reliably navigate a power wheelchair without the need to use the hands. All the user has to do is to produce a sequence of tiny contractions of an arbitrary muscle, e.g., by raising the eyebrow. The working prototype of the system, which has been realized as a stand-alone device, is introduced in detail, together with a closer look at the muscle-based control principle and a brief description of a PC-based simulator. The advantages and the drawbacks of the system are discussed on the basis of a rather simple real-life experiment. The paper also elaborates on possible approaches to improve HaWCoS (by reducing or eliminating its problems) in the future. In addition to a quick software solution and a controller implementation involving supplemental sensory information, planned "improvements" include the development of an "intelligent wheelchair" with HaWCoS being some sort of a prototype for the User Interface component.

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A Self Monitoring Remote Measurement and Control Platform Design and Implementation

2013 Third International Conference on Instrumentation, Measurement, Computer, Communication and Control ◽

10.1109/imccc.2013.362 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Piyan He ◽

Jia Yang

Keyword(s):

Remote Measurement ◽

Platform Design ◽

Self Monitoring ◽

Design And Implementation ◽

And Control ◽

Measurement And Control

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Research on the platform design and control system for the wheel-side steering-driving coordination vehicle

2010 IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics and Automation ◽

10.1109/icma.2010.5588591 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Ding Zhao ◽

Haiyang Sun ◽

Wenfeng Cui

Keyword(s):

Control System ◽

Platform Design ◽

Wheel Side ◽

And Control

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Independent Living: The Concept, Model, and Methodology

Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps ◽

10.1177/154079698601100403 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 240-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

James F. Budde ◽

Judy L. Bachelder

Keyword(s):

Human Service ◽

Independent Living ◽

State Of The Art ◽

Severe Disabilities ◽

General Application ◽

Community Environment ◽

Concept Model ◽

Definition Of ◽

And Control

The emerging independent living (IL) field enables persons with severe disabilities to live independently and control their lives. The concept and model have implications for rehabilitation, education, and related human service fields. This article discusses guiding influences that led to changes in the IL concept and model and presents a state-of-the-art definition of independent living. It discusses general application of the IL concept. An IL model is presented that focuses on improving the community environment and offering assistive services to persons with severe disabilities. Finally, future IL challenges are discussed.

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TWO LOW-COST HUMAN COMPUTER INTERFACES FOR PEOPLE WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES

Biomedical Engineering Applications Basis and Communications ◽

10.4015/s1016237204000475 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 16 (06) ◽

pp. 344-349 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

MU-CHUN SU ◽

YANG-HAN LEE ◽

CHENG-HUI WU ◽

SHI-YONG SU ◽

YU-XIANG ZHAO

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Severe Disabilities ◽

Disabled Persons ◽

Main Application ◽

Computer Interfaces ◽

Human Computer Interfaces ◽

The Disabled ◽

Potential Applications ◽

And Control

The object of this paper is to present a set of techniques integrated into two low-cost human computer interfaces. Although the interfaces have many potential applications, one main application is to help the disabled persons to attain or regain some degree of independent communications and control. The first interface is a voice-controlled mouse and the second one is an accelerometer-based mouse.

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Modern technology assists disabled competitors: the first “Cybathlon” special competition in Zürich

Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics ◽

10.37190/abb-01541-2020-01 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Włodzimierz S. Erdmann ◽

Piotr Aschenbrenner ◽

Vasilios Giovanis

Keyword(s):

Assistive Technology ◽

Severe Disabilities ◽

Modern Technology ◽

Disabled People ◽

Powered Wheelchair ◽

Powered Exoskeleton ◽

Race 2 ◽

Free Environment ◽

User Friendly ◽

Race 4

Purpose: The purpose of the study was presentation of modern bioengineering technology in order to help people with severe disabilities. Methods: Bioengineering industry can offer severely disabled people several devices in order to enable them to take part in the competition different than Paralympics. The first international competition for people with disabilities supported by modern assistive technology, such as sensors, motors, displays were allowed to compete in Cybathlon held in Zürich in 2016. About 70 athletes and their teams from 25 countries appeared at the event. Results: There were six disciplines (races): 1) Powered Arms (Upper Extremities) Prostheses Race, 2) Powered Legs (Lower Extremities) Prostheses Race, 3) Powered Wheelchair Race, 4) Powered Exoskeleton Race, 5) Functional Electrical Stimulation Bike Race, 6) Brain-Computer Interface Race. About a quarter of the teams represented industry and the rest represented university laboratories. Conclusions: The competition was a success. The organisers have decided for it to be organized every four years, just like the Olympic Games for able bodied competitors. The main inventor of the event professor Robert Riener from Zürich Polytechnic (ETHZ) said assistive technology should: a) be user-friendly b) to function well, c) be affordable, d) to be used within the barrier-free environment.

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