Guidance system for omnidirectional power wheelchair - Integration of manual input and automatic control

The aged and disabled constitute a growing percentage of the world's population, and a variety of systems to assist them are coming into very high demand. The purpose of our study is to develop a power wheelchair that gives the aged and disabled the same degree of mobility that healthy people enjoy, enabling users to rejoin society fully and heartily. To accomplish this, we adopt a holonomic omnidirectional mechanism that provides 3 DOF mobility, the same as healthy people have. In addition, we introduce an intuitive interface and automatic control functions to the power wheelchair. With these new technologies, a power wheelchair can provide flexible and intricate motion through simple commands. Copyright (C) 2001 IFAC.