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Navigation with Comfort of Omni-directional Wheelchair Driven by Joystick

Authors:Urbano Juan, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan
Yang YanYan, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan
Terashima Kazuhiko, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan
Miyoshi Takanori, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan
Kitagawa Hideo, Gifu National College of Technology, Japan
Topic:4.3 Robotics
Session:Robot Control I
Keywords: Mobile robots, Man/machine interface, Resonant Frequencies, Genetic algorithms, Velocity control, Human-centered design, Interactive vehicle control

Abstract

Wheelchairs are the most common used device in order to allow elderly and handicapped people more independence and greater interaction in their communities. The purpose of this research is to control the motion of an Omni-directional Mobile Wheelchair (OMW) while considering user's comfort. A human model is built for evaluating the proposed controller, considering that the human upper body consists of two rigid parts: head and torso. The proposed controller can not only control OMW fast and effectively but can also improve users' comfort greatly by suppressing vibration caused mainly by inappropriate acceleration while driving.