CoPilot: Autonomous doorway detection and traversal for electric powered wheelchairs

Abstract

In this paper we introduce CoPilot, an active driving aid that enables semi-autonomous, cooperative navigation of an electric powered wheelchair (EPW) for automated doorway detection and traversal. The system has been cleanly integrated into a commercially available EPW, and demonstrated with both joystick and head array interfaces. Leveraging the latest in 3D perception systems, we developed both feature and histogram-based approaches to the doorway detection problem. When coupled with a sample-based planner, success rates for automated doorway traversal approaching 100% were achieved.