The Design of an Intelligent Robotic Wheelchair Supporting People with Special Needs, Including for Their Visual...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Artificial Intelligence

Background:

• Traditional wheelchairs pose challenges for individuals with severe physical disabilities.
• Existing assistive technologies often lack adaptability for diverse user needs, including visual impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and limitations of an intelligent wheelchair system for users with special needs.
• To develop and evaluate a novel control system replacing traditional joysticks.
• To investigate the system's performance under various conditions and with users having visual impairments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized smart sensors and an intelligent vision system to analyze gaze and head movements for wheelchair control.
• Developed a destination target detection algorithm within a 3D workspace.
• Evaluated the system's performance indoors and outdoors under diverse lighting conditions.
• Tested the system on subjects with varying visual abilities, including those wearing eyeglasses.

Main Results:

• Validated the intelligent wheelchair system's effectiveness across all indoor lighting conditions.
• Established a methodology for creating personalized user profiles to optimize Human-Machine Interface (HMI) efficiency.
• Demonstrated primary validation for the real-world application of personalized profiles in indoor settings.

Conclusions:

• The proposed intelligent wheelchair system is applicable for individuals unable to operate conventional wheelchairs due to physical limitations.
• The system accommodates users with minor vision deficiencies or significant impairment in one eye.
• Personalized user profiles significantly enhance system adaptability and user experience.