Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Determining and Controlling External Power Output During Regular Handrim Wheelchair Propulsion
Published on: February 5, 2020
Inductive tongue control of powered wheelchairs
Morten Enemark Lund1, Henrik Vie Christiensen, Hector A Caltenco
1Dept. of Mech. Eng., Aalborg University, DK-9220, Denmark. melund@gmail.com
Abstract:
Alternative and effective methods for controlling powered wheelchairs are important to individuals with tetraplegia and similar impairments whom are unable to use the standard joystick. This paper describes a system where tongue movements are used to control a powered wheelchair thus providing users, with high level spinal cord injuries, full control of their wheelchair. The system is based on an inductive tongue control system developed at Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University. The system emulates a standard analog joystick in order to interface the wheelchair, thus ensuring that the system works with almost any wheelchair. The total embedment of the tongue interface into the mouth makes the control practically invisible. A fuzzy system combining 8 sensors for directional control allows for multidirectional control of the wheelchair. Preliminary test results show navigation abilities, which are highly competitive when compared to other tongue control system.
Related Concept Videos
Hierarchy of Motor Control
Motor Unit Stimulation
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
Open and closed-loop control systems
An open-loop control system operates without feedback from the output. It consists of two primary elements: the controller and the controlled process. The controller receives an input signal and...
Control Systems: Applications
In modern vehicles, control systems manage various functions to enhance performance and safety. The steering wheel and accelerator are primary inputs in a car's control system. The direction...
Indirect Motor Pathways
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
Torque Free Motion

