New Smart Wheelchairs Learn to Keep Users Safe

posted on May 23 by Admin in the Disability News, Technology, Wheelchair Technology category

The School of Engineering at Case Western University is working on a new type of power wheelchair targeting aging or developmentally challenged users. As the demand for powerchairs grow by an aging population, the need for a wheelchair that can interpret voice commands and prevent the user from getting into potentially dangerous situations is needed more than ever.

Safety is a huge concern for older and developmentally challenged power wheelchair users. Some retirement communities have even gone as far as to ban power wheelchairs completely. Roboticists at Case Western Reserve University are working on two different types of “smart” power wheelchairs that, through artificial intelligence, would not follow voice or joystick commands that could otherwise cause harm to the user.

The first prototype follows either joystick or voice commands such as “turn left” or “stop.” The voice command or joystick control would pass through a filter that would evaluate the surroundings and decide if that command is safe or not. Additionally, the researchers have devised a different model built on a robot-type platform that would actually “learn” specific locations. The user would give voice commands such as “go to vending machine,” and the powerchair would then plan out the entire path, execute doors, and call elevators to safely get the user to his or her destination.

This new line of “smart” power wheelchairs opens up doors for many people who are currently unable to operate wheelchairs independently new, inspiring hope for mobility and the freedom it offers.

Source: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-04/smart-wheelchairs-second-guess-your-commands-keeping-you-out-harms-way