Cane Robot Research Articles

2P2-F10 Motion Control of Three-Wheeled Omnidirectional Intelligent Cane Robot

A three-wheeled omnidirectional cane robot is designed for aiding the elderly walking. Possible walking modes are analyzed and a corresponding hybrid model is constructed to describe walking behavior. A concept called intentional direction is presented to denote the moving intention of a human. Based on experiments and some assumptions, dynamic model of intentional direction is obtained as well as its online estimation method. A new admittance control scheme is presented based on intentional direction, which provides natural and intuitive human machine interface. Experiment results show the effectiveness of the design.

A human robot interactive system “Roji”

A human-friendly interactive system that is based on the harmonious symbiotic coexistence of human and robots is explored. Based on interactive technology paradigm, a robotic cane is proposed for blind or visually impaired travelers to navigate safely and quickly through obstacles and other hazards faced by blind pedestrians. Robotic aids, such as robotic canes, require cooperation between human and robots. Various methods for implementing the appropriate cooperative recognition, planning, and acting, have been investigated. The issues discussed include the interaction between humans and robots, design issues of an interactive robotic cane, and behavior arbitration methodologies for navigation planning.

Evolution of a Robotic Cane

A human-friendly interactive system that is based on the harmonious symbiotic coexistence of human and robots is explored. Based on interactive technology paradigm, a robotic cane is proposed for blind or visually impaired travelers to navigate safely and quickly through obstacles and other hazards faced by blind pedestrians. Robotic aids, such as robotic canes, require cooperation between human and robots. Various methods for implementing the appropriate cooperative recognition, planning, and acting, have been investigated. The issues discussed include the interaction of human and robot, design issues of an interactive robotic cane, and behavior arbitration methodologies for navigation planning.

Shared control framework applied to a robotic aid for the blind

Demonstrates how the shared discrete event control system is applied to the Robotic Cane, a system which aids the visually impaired navigate through obstacle rich environments. It is also shown how the control framework operates to avoid obstacles with or without human interaction. During experiments the cane effectively helped the user to maneuver through an indoor environment. With a little practice the user could follow the direction in which the cane steered. This shows that the control mapping was defined effectively. The only command that was not very intuitive was the left and brake command used during a weak conflict. However, a different kinematic solution of the cane could achieve the turning and braking as desired. In times of strong conflict between the user input and the autonomous control command the human remained in control. The audio warning during these conflicts was effective in alerting the user.