A telepresence wheelchair using cellular network infrastructure in outdoor environments

Area of Science:

• Mobile communication technologies
• Robotics and automation
• Telehealth and assistive technologies

Background:

• Mobile wireless networks have advanced significantly, integrating telecommunication with daily applications.
• Fourth-generation (4G) cellular networks serve as a crucial link between technology and user-facing services.
• Existing telepresence systems often rely on local wireless networks, limiting their range and applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of using 4G cellular networks for outdoor telepresence wheelchair operation.
• To evaluate the performance of a telepresence wheelchair system controlled remotely over long distances.
• To assess the potential of 4G networks in enabling remote healthcare applications.

Main Methods:

• Development and deployment of a telepresence wheelchair system.
• Utilizing existing 4G cellular network infrastructure for remote control and data transmission.
• Conducting experiments in outdoor environments to simulate real-world conditions.
• Collecting and analyzing extensive communication data from network measurements.

Main Results:

• Successful remote interaction and control of the wheelchair across long distances and international borders.
• Achieved real-time control with an acceptable round-trip time consistently below 400 ms.
• Demonstrated the system's performance based on extensive real network measurements.

Conclusions:

• The 4G cellular network is a viable technology for enabling remote control of telepresence wheelchairs in outdoor settings.
• The study validates the potential of 4G-enabled telepresence wheelchairs for diverse healthcare applications.
• Real-time remote operation with acceptable latency is achievable, paving the way for advanced mobile assistive technologies.