Abstract
An electric wheelchair is the device to support the self-movement of the elderly and people with physical disabilities. In this paper, a prototype design of an electric wheelchair with a high level of mobility and safety is presented. The electric wheelchair has a high level of mobility by employing an omnidirectional mechanism. Large numbers of mechanisms have been developed to realize omnidirectional motion. However, they have various drawbacks such as a complicated mechanism and difficulty of employment for practical use. Although the ball wheel drive mechanism is simple, it realizes stable motion when negotiating a step, gap, or slope. The high level of mobility enhances the freedom of users while increasing the risk of collision with obstacles or walls. To prevent collisions with obstacles, some electric wheelchairs are equipped with infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, laser range finders, or machine vision. However, since these devices are expensive, it will be difficult for them to be widely used with electric wheelchairs. We have developed a prototype design of collision-detecting device with inexpensive sensors. This device detects the occurrence of collisions and can calculate the direction of the colliding object. A prototype has been developed to perform motion experiments and verify the accuracy of the device. The results of experiments are also presented in this paper.
Highlights
E reduced physical functions associated with aging or disability make independent living more difficult
Previous research topics based on electric wheelchairs can be classi ed into projects to develop increasing a high level of mobility and projects to add intelligent functions to wheelchairs
Omnidirectional vehicles are an active area of research in robotics and a numerous mechanisms have been developed
Summary
E reduced physical functions associated with aging or disability make independent living more difficult. An electric wheelchair is the device to support the self-movement of the elderly and people with physical disabilities. Omnidirectional vehicles are an active area of research in robotics and a numerous mechanisms have been developed. Several vehicles have been developed for use as electric wheelchairs [5]. They must be tested for practical use. Ese systems cannot only help avoid collisions, and enable the realization of additional intelligent functions such as autonomous and semiautonomous wheelchairs. Because inexpensive and reliable systems are re uired in the elds of public health and welfare, as reported in this paper, we have developed an omnidirectional wheelchair with a ball wheel drive mechanism. As a measure to ensure its safety, we have developed a collision-detecting device without expensive sensors
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