Simulation and control of multipurpose wheelchair for disabled/elderly mobility

© 2016 IOS Press and the author(s). This paper presents investigations into the development of modelling and control strategies for a multipurpose wheelchair as mobile transporter for elderly and disabled people. The research is aimed at helping people with physical weakness/disabilities in their upper and lower extremities to move independently without human intervention. A novel reconfiguration which allows multi-task operations in the same wheelchair system with improved design is modelled in Visual Nastran 4D (VN4D) software. A modular fuzzy logic control mechanism with integrated phases is introduced for the overall operations and two-wheeled stabilization of the wheelchair. It is shown that the proposed modular fuzzy control approach is able to ensure system stability while performing multipurpose tasks such as manoeuvrability on flat surfaces, stairs climbing (ascending and descending), standing in the upright position on two wheels and transformation back to standard four wheels with up to 50% less initial torque in comparison to previous designs

低重心型平行二輪ビークルにおける質量移動機構を用いた車体傾斜制御設計に関する研究

豊橋技術科学大

Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS 1994), volume 1

The AIAA/NASA Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS '94) was originally proposed because of the strong belief that America's problems of global economic competitiveness and job creation and preservation can partly be solved by the use of intelligent robotics, which are also required for human space exploration missions. Individual sessions addressed nuclear industry, agile manufacturing, security/building monitoring, on-orbit applications, vision and sensing technologies, situated control and low-level control, robotic systems architecture, environmental restoration and waste management, robotic remanufacturing, and healthcare applications

Advanced Knowledge Application in Practice

The integration and interdependency of the world economy leads towards the creation of a global market that offers more opportunities, but is also more complex and competitive than ever before. Therefore widespread research activity is necessary if one is to remain successful on the market. This book is the result of research and development activities from a number of researchers worldwide, covering concrete fields of research

DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND USABILITY EVALUATION OF CONTROL ALGORITHMS FOR A MOBILITY ENHANCEMENT ROBOTIC WHEELCHAIR (MEBOT)

An Electric Powered Wheelchair (EPW) is a key mobility device for people with disabilities providing mobility, independence, and improved quality of life. However, the design of current EPWs remains limited when driving in environments with architectural barriers and uneven terrain, making EPW users susceptible to safety issues - such as tipping or falling - which may lead to serious injury. To overcome these limitations, we developed a series of control algorithms for a novel mobility enhancement robotic wheelchair (MEBot). MEBot consists of six wheels with pneumatic actuators to control the elevation and inclination of the wheelchair as well as electric actuators in the driving wheel carriage to change its driving wheel configuration. Its controller is comprised of a single board computer, and a sensor package that aids obstacle detection and provides information about joint movements to develop MEBOT’s control algorithms. The ability of the MEBot controller to perform control algorithms, such as the dynamic seat leveling, curb climbing, and descending applications, was evaluated and validated in both simulation and a controlled environment for broader accessibility in architectural barriers. A stability analysis showed that while the footprint of the wheelchair changed during the process of its control algorithms when overcoming architectural barriers such as curbs and slopes; MEBot maintained its center of mass within the wheelchair footprint. Furthermore, a usability evaluation with ten power wheelchair users was conducted to compare the MEBot’s controller with that of their own power wheelchair in simulated indoor, outdoor, and advanced (architectural barriers) environments. Results show that MEBot was able to perform a significantly higher number of tasks than currently available commercial power wheelchairs in the advanced environment. In addition, participant’s feedback was obtained for further improvement of the device and its control algorithms

Proceedings of the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics, volume 1

The theme of the Conference was man-machine collaboration in space. Topics addressed include: redundant manipulators; man-machine systems; telerobot architecture; remote sensing and planning; navigation; neural networks; fundamental AI research; and reasoning under uncertainty

Proceedings of the Workshop on Space Telerobotics, volume 1

These proceedings report the results of a workshop on space telerobotics, which was held at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, January 20-22, 1987. Sponsored by the NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST), the Workshop reflected NASA's interest in developing new telerobotics technology for automating the space systems planned for the 1990s and beyond. The workshop provided a window into NASA telerobotics research, allowing leading researchers in telerobotics to exchange ideas on manipulation, control, system architectures, artificial intelligence, and machine sensing. One of the objectives was to identify important unsolved problems of current interest. The workshop consisted of surveys, tutorials, and contributed papers of both theoretical and practical interest. Several sessions were held on the themes of sensing and perception, control execution, operator interface, planning and reasoning, and system architecture

INTER-ENG 2020

These proceedings contain research papers that were accepted for presentation at the 14th International Conference Inter-Eng 2020 ,Interdisciplinarity in Engineering, which was held on 8–9 October 2020, in Târgu Mureș, Romania. It is a leading international professional and scientific forum for engineers and scientists to present research works, contributions, and recent developments, as well as current practices in engineering, which is falling into a tradition of important scientific events occurring at Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology in the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy Science, and Technology of Târgu Mures, Romania. The Inter-Eng conference started from the observation that in the 21st century, the era of high technology, without new approaches in research, we cannot speak of a harmonious society. The theme of the conference, proposing a new approach related to Industry 4.0, was the development of a new generation of smart factories based on the manufacturing and assembly process digitalization, related to advanced manufacturing technology, lean manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing, additive manufacturing, and manufacturing tools and equipment. The conference slogan was “Europe’s future is digital: a broad vision of the Industry 4.0 concept beyond direct manufacturing in the company”

The Second Conference on Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century, volume 1

These papers comprise a peer-review selection of presentations by authors from NASA, LPI industry, and academia at the Second Conference (April 1988) on Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century, sponsored by the NASA Office of Exploration and the Lunar Planetary Institute. These papers go into more technical depth than did those published from the first NASA-sponsored symposium on the topic, held in 1984. Session topics covered by this volume include (1) design and operation of transportation systems to, in orbit around, and on the Moon, (2) lunar base site selection, (3) design, architecture, construction, and operation of lunar bases and human habitats, and (4) lunar-based scientific research and experimentation in astronomy, exobiology, and lunar geology