Your browser does not support JavaScript!
http://iet.metastore.ingenta.com
1887

access icon openaccess Design and evaluation of an alternative wheelchair control system for dexterity disabilities

This work details the design and development of a novel 3D printed, modular alternative wheelchair control system for powered wheelchair users afflicted with dexterity inhibiting disorders, which mechanically interfaces directly with the installed standard joystick. The proposed joystick manipulator utilises an accelerometer for gesture control input processed by the Arduino microprocessor and a mechanical control interface, which sits over a standard installed two-axis proportional joystick, the preferential control system for most powered chair manufacturers. When fitted, this allows powered electric wheelchair users with limited dexterity, independent to navigate their wheelchair unassisted. The mechanical system has been selected so that the joystick manipulator is as universal as possible and can be installed to almost any powered wheelchair that uses a two-axis joystick. The design process and key aspects of the operation of the joystick manipulator are presented as well as field testing on a wheelchair conducted. The test results show that the proposed joystick manipulator is a successful system that can be universally fitted to most powered chairs and offers potentially greater independence for the powered wheelchair user.

References

    1. 1)
    2. 2)
      • 3. Kumar, S.: ‘Perspectives in rehabilitation ergonomics’ (Taylor and Francis Ltd, London, 1997, 1st edn.).
    3. 3)
      • 4. Rajesh, A., Mantur, M.: ‘Eyeball gesture controlled automatic wheelchair using deep learning’. 2017 IEEE Region 10 Humanitarian Technology Conf. (R10-HTC), Dhaka, Bangladesh, 21–23 December 2017.
    4. 4)
      • 5. Ghorbel, A., Amor, N.B., Jalloul, M.: ‘An embedded real-time hands free control of an electric wheelchair’. IEEE Visual Communications and Image Processing Conf., Valletta, Malta, 7–10 December 2014.
    5. 5)
      • 7. Huang, C.-K., Wang, Z.-W., Chen, G.-W., et al: ‘Development of a smart wheelchair with dual functions: real-time control and automated guide’. 2nd Int. Conf. on Control and Robotics (ICCRE), Bangkok, Thailand, 1–3 April 2017.
    6. 6)
      • 11. Tian, Z., Xu, W.: ‘Electric wheelchair controller based on parameter self-adjusting fuzzy PID’. Int. Conf. on Computational Intelligence and Natural Computing, Wuhan, China, 6–7 June 2009.
    7. 7)
      • 8. Ituratte, I., Antelis, J.M., Minguez, J.: ‘Synchronous EEG brain-actuated wheelchair with automated navigation’. IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Kobe, Japan, 12–17 May 2009, pp. 23182325.
    8. 8)
    9. 9)
      • 9. Wei, W., Xiaoning, M., Xiuyu, G.: ‘The application of fuzzy PID control in intelligent wheelchair system’. 2010 Second WRI Global Congress on Intelligent Systems, Wuhan, China, 16–17 December 2010.
    10. 10)
      • 15. Felzer, T., Nordmann, R.: ‘Alternative wheelchair control’, Proc. Int. IEEE-BAIS Symp. on Research on Assistive Technologies, 2007, 1, (1), pp. 6774.
    11. 11)
      • 10. Clearesta, E., Wardhana, A.A., Widyotriatmo, A., et alAdaptive control for velocity control of an electric wheelchair’. 3rd Int. Conf. on Instrumentation Control and Automation (ICA), Ungasan, Indonesia, 28–30 August 2013.
    12. 12)
    13. 13)
    14. 14)
      • 2. Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access: ‘Alternative wheelchair control’, 2010. Available at http://atwiki.assistivetech.net/index.php/Alternative_wheelchair_control, accessed 23 March 2018.
    15. 15)
      • 14. Eyedrivomatic: ‘Background’, 2017. Available at https://eyedrivomatic.org/, accessed 23 April 2018.
http://iet.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1049/htl.2018.5047
Loading

Related content

content/journals/10.1049/htl.2018.5047
pub_keyword,iet_inspecKeyword,pub_concept
6
6
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address