A novel approach to wheelchair design and operation using multi-function controller

Abstract

An electric multi-function controlled wheelchair is designed and fully tested. This wheelchair is controlled by several physiological variables namely; voice, head movement, finger bending, breathing pressure and Electrooculography (EOG). The patient has the choice to use any of these variables to control the wheelchair. The voice command is recorded by a voice recognition module with its microphone, whereas, the head and finger motion operate through the gyro accelerometer and flex sensors. A pressure sensor is used to determine the force of breathing and EOG signals are used to control the wheelchair movement. All of the inputs are processed using a microcontroller. Testing of the wheel chair using the mentioned variables is carried out successfully with accuracy between 88 to 96% for various control modules and safety consideration as a primary goal.