Wheelchair-bicycle mechanical coupling

El trabajo consiste en la presentación, justificación y diseño de un sistema de adaptación mecánico entre bicicletas de tipo urbano y sillas de ruedas; económico, sencillo y fácil de montar y desmontar. Junto con ello, se ofrece un estudio de diferentes posibilidades con su correspondiente análisis de decisión. Además de anexos sobre dimensionamiento, estudio resistente, materiales, etc

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF AN ADVANCED REAL-TIME ELECTRICAL POWERED WHEELCHAIR CONTROLLER

Advances in Electric Powered Wheelchairs (EPW) have improved mobility for people with disabilities as well as older adults, and have enhanced their integration into society. Some of the issues still present in EPW lie in the difficulties when encountering different types of terrain, and access to higher or low surfaces. To this end, an advanced real-time electrical powered wheelchair controller was developed. The controller was comprised of a hardware platform with sensors measuring the speed of the driving, caster wheels and the acceleration, with a single board computer for implementing the control algorithms in real-time, a multi-layer software architecture, and modular design. A model based real-time speed and traction controller was developed and validated by simulation. The controller was then evaluated via driving over four different surfaces at three specified speeds. Experimental results showed that model based control performed best on all surfaces across the speeds compared to PID (proportional-integral-derivative) and Open Loop control. A real-time slip detection and traction control algorithm was further developed and evaluated by driving the EPW over five different surfaces at three speeds. Results showed that the performance of anti-slip control was consistent on the varying surfaces at different speeds. The controller was also tested on a front wheel drive EPW to evaluate a forwarding tipping detection and prevention algorithm. Experimental results showed that the tipping could be accurately detected as it was happening and the performance of the tipping prevention strategy was consistent on the slope across different speeds. A terrain-dependent EPW user assistance system was developed based on the controller. Driving rules for wet tile, gravel, slopes and grass were developed and validated by 10 people without physical disabilities. The controller was also adapted to the Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance (PerMMA) Generation II, which is an advanced power wheelchair with a flexible mobile base, allowing it to adjust the positions of each of the four casters and two driving wheels. Simulations of the PerMMA Gen II system showed that the mobile base controller was able to climb up to 8” curb and maintain passenger’s posture in a comfort position

Mesure des effets immédiats d'un entraînement sur un simulateur de fauteuil roulant manuel offrant une rétroaction haptique : un regard sur l'efficacité de la propulsion et sur les chargements aux épaules

Près de 100 millions de personnes dans le monde utilisent un fauteuil roulant manuel, mais peu reçoivent des instructions sur comment le propulser de façon efficace. Optimiser l’efficacité de la propulsion pourrait pourtant diminuer le risque de développer des déficiences secondaires à l’épaule. Notre équipe a développé un simulateur ciblant la propulsion de fauteuil roulant manuel qui permet de donner une rétroaction haptique en temps réel sur l’efficacité mécanique de la propulsion tout au long de la poussée. Le projet visait à évaluer l’impact de l’entraînement avec rétroaction haptique sur l’efficacité de la propulsion et sur les chargements observés aux épaules. Dix-huit utilisateurs de fauteuil roulant manuel avec une lésion médullaire ont participé à une séance d’entraînement sur le simulateur avec une rétroaction haptique. Les forces et les moments appliqués aux cerceaux ainsi que le mouvement du tronc et des membres supérieurs ont été enregistrés avant, durant et immédiatement après l’entraînement. L’efficacité de la propulsion a été calculée en utilisant la Mechanical Effective Force (MEF), le carré du ratio entre les forces tangentielle et totale appliquées aux cerceaux. Durant l’entraînement, la MEF moyenne des participants dans la partie centrale de la poussée a augmenté jusqu’à 15,7% du côté dominant et 12,4% du côté non-dominant par rapport à la valeur mesurée au préentraînement. De plus, les participants ont généralement dépassé le patron cible de la MEF dans la première moitié de la poussée normalisée, et s’en ont rapproché dans la deuxième moitié. Toutefois, les moments de réaction articulaires mesurés au niveau de l’épaule, et particulièrement ceux en flexion et en adduction, ont augmenté significativement durant l’entraînement par rapport au pré-entraînement. Enfin, huit participants ont réussi à modifier leur patron de MEF vers la cible même en post-entraînement pour maintenir une meilleure efficacité de propulsion, sans pour autant augmenter leurs chargements à l’épaule. Les résultats de cette étude confirment que certains utilisateurs de fauteuil roulant manuel sont capables de réagir à la rétroaction haptique en développant un patron de poussée plus efficace. Les paramètres de la rétroaction haptique et le simulateur seront raffinés à partir des connaissances générées à travers cette étude. Ces futures améliorations permettront de peaufiner les paramètres optimaux d’entrainement afin de permettre l’apprentissage d’une technique de propulsion plus efficace chez les utilisateurs de fauteuil roulant manuel

Elektrikli tekerlekli sandalyenin ayrık-zaman optimal kontrolü

06.03.2018 tarihli ve 30352 sayılı Resmi Gazetede yayımlanan “Yükseköğretim Kanunu İle Bazı Kanun Ve Kanun Hükmünde Kararnamelerde Değişiklik Yapılması Hakkında Kanun” ile 18.06.2018 tarihli “Lisansüstü Tezlerin Elektronik Ortamda Toplanması, Düzenlenmesi ve Erişime Açılmasına İlişkin Yönerge” gereğince tam metin erişime açılmıştır.Anahtar kelimeler: Elektrikli Tekerlekli Sandalye (ETS), Açısal Hız, Bozucu, Gözlemci, Model Öngörülü Kontrol (MÖK), Bozucu Gözleyici Destekli Model Öngörülü Kontrol (BGDMÖK) Elektrikli tekerlekli sandalye (ETS) engelli kişilerce kullanılan hareketlilik yardımcısı cihazlardır. Bağımsız hareket etmesi gereken veya el ile tekerlekli sandalye kullanamayan insanlar için ETS yararlıdır ve gereklidir. Tekerlekli sandalyede hız kontrol edilecek en önemli unsurdur. ETS sürüşü sırasında ortaya çıkan belirsiz çevre etkileri veya bozucuları ETS hız kontrolünün temel problemidir. Bu tez çalışmasında, çok giriş çok çıkışlı ve kublajlı olan ETS'nin sağ tekerlek ve sol tekerlek açısal hızlarını bir birinden bağımsız olarak kontrol etmek ve bozucu etkisini ortadan kaldırmak için kontrol yöntemleri önerilmiş ve tasarımları yapılmıştır. ETS'nin enerji denklemleri yazılır ve bu denklemlerden ayrık-zaman durum denklemleri doğrudan elde edilerek ETS modellenir. Durum uzay modeli kullanılarak Luenberger gözleyici sağ tekerlek ve sol tekerlek DC motor akımlarını ve hızlarını kestirmek için tasarlanır. ETS’nin hız kontrolönü yapmak üzere ayrık-zaman optimal Model Öngörülü Kontrol (MÖK) ve bozucu etkisini ortadan kaldırmak için Bozucu Gözleyici Destekli Model Öngörülü Kontrol (BGDMÖK) önerileri yapılır ve ETS nin ayrık-zaman durum uzay modeli kullanılarak tasarım yapılır. ETS’nin elde edilen ayrık zaman durum uzay model doğrulaması, ETS’nin sağ ve sol teker hızlarının bozucu etkiler altında bağımsız kontrölü için önerilen MÖK ve BGDMÖK yöntemlerinin performans değerlendirmeleri ve karşılaştırmaları benzetim çalışmaları ile verilmektedir. DISCRETE TIME OPTIMAL CONTROL OF ELECTRIC POWERED WHEELCHAIR (EPW)Keywords: Electric Powered Wheelchair (EPW), angular velocity, disturbance, observer, Model Predictive Control (MPC), Disturbance Observer Support to Model Predictive Control (DOSMPC) Electric powered wheelchair (EPW) is the mobility assistive device used by disabled persons. EPW is useful and necessary for people who are not able to use a manual wheelchair or for people who must move independently. The velocity of wheelchair is the important aspect to be controlled. The uncertain environmental effects or disturbances occuring during the EPW driving is the major problem of EPW velocity control. In this thesis, control methods have been proposed and implemented to eliminate the disturbance effect and to independently control the right and left wheel angular velocities of EPW that is a coupled and multi-input multi-output system. The energy equations are written and EPW is modeled by obtaining the discrete time state equations from the energy equations directly. By using state space model, the Luenberger observer is designed to estimate DC motor currents and velocities of right and left wheels. Discrete time optimal Model Predictive Control (MPC) for velocity control of EPW and Disturbance Observer Supported Model Predictive Control (DOSMPC) for eliminating disturbance effect are proposed and state space model of EPW is used in design. The discrete time state space model verification of the EPW is done by providing simulation results giving performance evaluation and comparison of MPC and DOSMPC methods proposed for independent velocity control of right and left wheels of ETS in the presence disturbance effect

Classificação de pacientes para adaptação de cadeira de rodas inteligente

Doutoramento em Engenharia InformáticaA importância e preocupação dedicadas à autonomia e independência das pessoas idosas e dos pacientes que sofrem de algum tipo de deficiência tem vindo a aumentar significativamente ao longo das últimas décadas. As cadeiras de rodas inteligentes (CRI) são tecnologias que podem ajudar este tipo de população a aumentar a sua autonomia, sendo atualmente uma área de investigação bastante ativa. Contudo, a adaptação das CRIs a pacientes específicos e a realização de experiências com utilizadores reais são assuntos de estudo ainda muito pouco aprofundados. A cadeira de rodas inteligente, desenvolvida no âmbito do Projeto IntellWheels, é controlada a alto nível utilizando uma interface multimodal flexível, recorrendo a comandos de voz, expressões faciais, movimentos de cabeça e através de joystick. Este trabalho teve como finalidade a adaptação automática da CRI atendendo às características dos potenciais utilizadores. Foi desenvolvida uma metodologia capaz de criar um modelo do utilizador. A investigação foi baseada num sistema de recolha de dados que permite obter e armazenar dados de voz, expressões faciais, movimentos de cabeça e do corpo dos pacientes. A utilização da CRI pode ser efetuada em diferentes situações em ambiente real e simulado e um jogo sério foi desenvolvido permitindo especificar um conjunto de tarefas a ser realizado pelos utilizadores. Os dados foram analisados recorrendo a métodos de extração de conhecimento, de modo a obter o modelo dos utilizadores. Usando os resultados obtidos pelo sistema de classificação, foi criada uma metodologia que permite selecionar a melhor interface e linguagem de comando da cadeira para cada utilizador. A avaliação para validação da abordagem foi realizada no âmbito do Projeto FCT/RIPD/ADA/109636/2009 - "IntellWheels - Intelligent Wheelchair with Flexible Multimodal Interface". As experiências envolveram um vasto conjunto de indivíduos que sofrem de diversos níveis de deficiência, em estreita colaboração com a Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Saúde do Porto e a Associação do Porto de Paralisia Cerebral. Os dados recolhidos através das experiências de navegação na CRI foram acompanhados por questionários preenchidos pelos utilizadores. Estes dados foram analisados estatisticamente, a fim de provar a eficácia e usabilidade na adequação da interface da CRI ao utilizador. Os resultados mostraram, em ambiente simulado, um valor de usabilidade do sistema de 67, baseado na opinião de uma amostra de pacientes que apresentam os graus IV e V (os mais severos) de Paralisia Cerebral. Foi também demonstrado estatisticamente que a interface atribuída automaticamente pela ferramenta tem uma avaliação superior à sugerida pelos técnicos de Terapia Ocupacional, mostrando a possibilidade de atribuir automaticamente uma linguagem de comando adaptada a cada utilizador. Experiências realizadas com distintos modos de controlo revelaram a preferência dos utilizadores por um controlo compartilhado com um nível de ajuda associado ao nível de constrangimento do paciente. Em conclusão, este trabalho demonstra que é possível adaptar automaticamente uma CRI ao utilizador com claros benefícios a nível de usabilidade e segurança.The importance and concern given to the autonomy and independence of elderly people and patients suffering from some kind of disability has been growing significantly in the last few decades. Intelligent wheelchairs (IW) are technologies that can increase the autonomy and independence of this kind of population and are nowadays a very active research area. However, the adaptations to users’ specificities and experiments with real users are topics that lack deeper studies. The intelligent wheelchair, developed in the context of the IntellWheels project, is controlled at a high-level through a flexible multimodal interface, using voice commands, facial expressions, head movements and joystick as its main input modalities. This work intended to develop a system enabling the automatic adaptation, to the user characteristics, of the previously developed intelligent wheelchair. A methodology was created enabling the creation of a user model. The research was based on the development of a data gathering system, enabling the collection and storage of data from voice commands, facial expressions, head and body movements from several patients with distinct disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy. The wheelchair can be used in different situations in real and simulated environments and a serious game was developed where different tasks may be performed by users. Data was analysed using knowledge discovery methods in order to create an automatic patient classification system. Based on the classification system, a methodology was developed enabling to select the best wheelchair interface and command language for each patient. Evaluation was performed in the context of Project FCT/RIPD/ADA/109636/ 2009 – “IntellWheels – Intelligent Wheelchair with Flexible Multimodal Interface”. Experiments were conducted, using a large set of patients suffering from severe physical constraints in close collaboration with Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Saúde do Porto and Associação do Porto de Paralisia Cerebral. The experiments using the intelligent wheelchair were followed by user questionnaires. The results were statistically analysed in order to prove the effectiveness and usability of the adaptation of the Intelligent Wheelchair multimodal interface to the user characteristics. The results obtained in a simulated environment showed a 67 score on the system usability scale based in the opinion of a sample of cerebral palsy patients with the most severe cases IV and V of the Gross Motor Function Scale. It was also statistically demonstrated that the data analysis system advised the use of an adapted interface with higher evaluation than the one suggested by the occupational therapists, showing the usefulness of defining a command language adapted to each user. Experiments conducted with distinct control modes revealed the users' preference for a shared control with an aid level taking into account the level of constraint of the patient. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that it is possible to adapt an intelligent wheelchair to the user with clear usability and safety benefits

Quantification de l'effet d'un retour visuel immersif et non-immersif sur la biomécanique de la propulsion en utilisant un simulateur haptique de fauteuil roulant manuel

Notre équipe a développé un simulateur à retour haptique capable de reproduire la friction entre le sol et un fauteuil roulant manuel (FRM). Le simulateur permet d’étudier la propulsion manuelle de manière stationnaire en laboratoire. Cependant, la propulsion stationnaire fait en sorte qu’il n’est pas possible de s’orienter ou de juger des distances parcourues lors de la propulsion sur le simulateur sans retour visuel. La technique de propulsion sur le simulateur était donc possiblement différente de celle observée dans la réalité. Un environnement virtuel (EV) qui réplique un couloir réel a été mis sur pieds pour comparer des séquences de propulsion réalisées dans un couloir réel et dans un couloir virtuel. Le but de ce projet était de quantifier l’effet d’un EV, immersif ou non, sur la technique de propulsion sur un simulateur à retour haptique. Douze participants avec peu ou aucune expérience en propulsion de FRM ont propulsé dans un environnement réel et sur le simulateur. Les participants ont réalisé un total de 22 essais sur un parcours rectiligne et sur un parcours curviligne. Sur le simulateur, les participants ont propulsé selon 3 conditions : sans EV, avec EV affiché grâce à un écran-télé ou avec EV affiché grâce à un visiocasque. Les forces et les moments de force appliqués aux cerceaux des roués de FRMs ont été enregistrés lors d’essais expérimentaux. Les pics maximaux des forces et des moments de forces, les angles de poussées, le coefficient de variabilité de Mz et la symétrie de propulsion ont été calculés afin de comparer entre eux les essais expérimentaux. Les résultats montrent que des différences, parfois significatives, existent entre les paramètres de propulsion observés sur simulateur avec écran-télé et ceux observés lors de la propulsion réelle. Ces différences étaient plus importantes au niveau de la force verticale appliquée aux cerceaux et au niveau des angles de poussée. Ainsi, les participants avaient moins tendance à se servir de leur tronc lors de la propulsion sur simulateur. L’EV affiché grâce à un visiocasque a su rapprocher ces paramètres de propulsion sur simulateur de ceux dans la réalité physique. Ce rapprochement a été perçu pour les parcours rectiligne et curviligne. En somme, les résultats de cette étude montrent que la technique de propulsion ne se rapproche pas davantage de la réalité lors de l’ajout d’un EV affiché grâce à un écran-télé. Cependant, un rapprochement partiel de la technique de propulsion de la réalité est observé lors de l’utilisation d’un visiocasque sur le simulateur. Des expérimentations futures pourraient être réalisées avec des visiocasques plus récents qui offrent une meilleure résolution et un plus grand champ de vue pour vérifier si le rapprochement de la technique de propulsion peut être augmenté. De plus, une phase expérimentale avec des experts en propulsion de FRM serait pertinente pour vérifier si les mêmes résultats seraient obtenus