A human inspired cognitive wheelchair navigation system

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel approach to impart cognition to wheelchair navigation system (WNS). The cognitive engineering for WNS is to incorporate advance wheelchair user assistance features for autonomous functions. The simplified top level schematic human brain model for navigation computing is developed. From this developed model, a novel human inspired cognitive cycle (HICS) is proposed that consists of six acts. On the basis of HICS, a theoretical model for cognitive wheelchair navigation system (CWNS) is developed. The proposed top level theoretical CWNS model provides general framework for technical implementation of autonomous wheelchair navigation system. The three new approaches to artificial intelligence, namely: HICS, SIE and CWNS are introduced in this paper. The prototype realisation of proposed CWNS theoretical model has been done using 8051 microcontroller as cognitive embedded system (CES). It has intelligent of obstacle avoidance and distress user command avoidance using logics of the 8051 microcontroller coding. The working response of proposed model has been compared with existing models on the basis of possible health condition and impairments associated with wheelchair users.