Multimodal Smart Wheelchair Integrated with Safety Alert System

Abstract

Elderly and people with disabilities often rely on others for their locomotion. With this emerging world of automation and technologically advanced society we live in a smart wheelchair with appropriate automation can be a life changing innovation for them. One might wonder what is the need for a wheelchair to be smart or for that matter why anything needs to be smart. The answer is simple, to overcome the limitations of the existing technology. We aim on integrating a simple Manually operated wheelchair with features like Obstacle Detection with appropriate technologies such as voice control or gesture control for people who are not able to locomote like a normal person can. With this project, not only do we help a person using a normal wheelchair more easily but also make life easier for those who have other disabilities which are standing as an obstacle making it difficult for them to walk. For instance, a blind person can use a smart wheelchair that allows voicecontrolled movement or even gesture-controlled movement. Another might be of a person who can’t speak, will now be able to control everything with his bare hands. Wheelchair coupled with the appropriate sensors that automatically detects the obstacles/objects in the proximity and takes appropriate action consequently and In addition to that it may also be controlled by another person taking care of the disabled by giving commands such as forward, backward, upright etc. This not only reduces the user's efforts but also helps people to take care of their elderly. Voice/gesture control system makes everything simple. Just visualize the application of it in a hospital where the nurse has to manually handle the patient's wheelchair for even the slightest of movement. This system on the other hand needs only text or voice input command, and based upon the predefined command received from the user, the system will execute the task. This project even enforces a GSM module which uses the sim card, which can help in tracking the wheelchair when required, like in case where a user is in difficulty and needs emergency help, a message asking for help can be sent to the intended person.