Wheelchair Control System based on Gyroscope of Wearable Tool for the Disabled

Abstract

A wheelchair control system based on Gyroscope of wearable tool can serve the disabled, especially in helping them move freely. The recent evolution of new technology means that unassisted, free movement has become possible. For this purpose, human–machine interface hands-free command of an electric-powered wheelchair can be achieved. In this paper, an electroencephalogram instrument, namely the EMOTIV Insight, was implemented in a human–computer interface to acquire the user’s head motion signals. The system can be operated based on the user’s head motions to carry out motion orders and control the motor of the wheelchair. The proposed system consists of an EMOTIV Insight brain-based gyroscope to sense head tilt, a DC motor driver to control wheelchair speed and directions, an eclectic-powered wheelchair, microcontroller, and laptop. We implemented the system in practice and tested it on smooth and rough surfaces in indoor/outdoor settings. The experimental results were greatly encouraging: disabled users were able to drive the wheelchair without any limitations. We obtained a significant average response time of 2 seconds. In addition, the system had accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 99%, 99.16%, and 98.83%, respectively.