254 research outputs found

    ROS-Based Indoor Autonomous Exploration and Navigation Wheelchair

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    The aim of this project is to create a platform that when implemented to an electric wheelchair could give to the users different control methods to suit their needs. It will be composed of a adaptive control system by means of different controllers and an autonomous control system. In addition, a system for measuring physiological parameters has been implemented to supervise the user?s health state when it is used sites such as hospitals, and their emotional state in order to optimize their period of adaptation to the control. It is oriented to offering people with severe disabilities, who cannot control a wheelchair by themselves, independent mobility from their caregivers in indoor spaces. The control platform has the objective to be as economic as possible and adaptable to any electric wheelchair model.El objetivo de este proyecto es crear una plataforma que, una vez implementada en una silla de ruedas eléctrica, pueda proporcionar a los usuarios diferentes métodos de control que se adapten a sus necesidades. Ésta estará compuesta por un sistema de control adaptativo, mediante diferentes controladores, y un sistema de control autónomo. Aparte, también se ha implementado un sistema de medida de parámetros fisiológicos que permite supervisar el estado de salud del usuario cuando se utiliza en lugares como hospitales, y el estado emocional para poder optimizar su fase de adaptación al control. Está orientado a ofrecer a las personas con discapacidades graves, que no pueden controlar por sí mismas una silla de ruedas, movilidad independiente de sus cuidadores en espacios interiores. La plataforma tiene el objetivo de ser adaptable a cualquier modelo de silla de ruedas eléctrica y ser lo más económica posible.L'objectiu d'aquest projecte és crear una plataforma que, un cop implementada a una cadira de rodes elèctrica, pugui proporcionar als usuaris diferents mètodes de control que s'adaptin a les seves necessitats. Aquesta estarà composta per un sistema de control adaptatiu, mitjançant diferents controladors, i un sistema de control autònom. A part, també s'ha implementat un sistema de mesura de paràmetres fisiològics que permet supervisar l'estat de salut de l'usuari quan es fa servir en llocs com hospitals, i l'estat emocional per tal de poder optimitzar la seva fase d'adaptació al control. Està orientat a oferir a les persones amb discapacitats greus, que no poden controlar per elles mateixes una cadira de rodes, mobilitat independent dels seus cuidadors en espais interiors. La plataforma té l'objectiu de ser adaptable a qualsevol model de cadira de rodes elèctrica i ser el més econòmica possible

    Towards Early Mobility Independence: An Intelligent Paediatric Wheelchair with Case Studies

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    Standard powered wheelchairs are still heavily dependent on the cognitive capabilities of users. Unfortunately, this excludes disabled users who lack the required problem-solving and spatial skills, particularly young children. For these children to be denied powered mobility is a crucial set-back; exploration is important for their cognitive, emotional and psychosocial development. In this paper, we present a safer paediatric wheelchair: the Assistive Robot Transport for Youngsters (ARTY). The fundamental goal of this research is to provide a key-enabling technology to young children who would otherwise be unable to navigate independently in their environment. In addition to the technical details of our smart wheelchair, we present user-trials with able-bodied individuals as well as one 5-year-old child with special needs. ARTY promises to provide young children with early access to the path towards mobility independence

    Optimal Wheelchair Multi-LiDAR Placement for Indoor SLAM

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    One of the most prevalent technologies used in modern robotics is Simultaneous Localization and Mapping or, SLAM. Modern SLAM technologies usually employ a number of different probabilistic mathematics to perform processes that enable modern robots to not only map an environment but, also, concurrently localize themselves within said environment. Existing open-source SLAM technologies not only range in the different probabilistic methods they employ to achieve their task but, also, by how well the task is achieved and by their computational requirements. Additionally, the positioning of the sensors in the robot also has a substantial effect on how well these technologies work. Therefore, this dissertation is dedicated to the comparison of existing open-source ROS implemented 2D SLAM technologies and in the maximization of the performance of said SLAM technologies by researching optimal sensor placement in a Intelligent Wheelchair context, using SLAM performance as a benchmark

    Navegação semântica aplicada a passagens estreitas em cadeira de rodas inteligente

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    With the development of robotics technology, new opportunities for improving the quality of life of people with mobility impairments arise. The IntellWheels project was born with the goal of developing a hardware and software kit that can turn a motorized wheelchair into an autonomous Intelligent Wheelchair. This dissertation fits into this project on the topic of indoor navigation with the goal of adding a semantic layer to the navigation framework. Semantic in robotics is the ability of a robot to understand its environment. In the case of an Intelligent Wheelchair, this is especially important considering it is a robot that carries a passenger. A solution was developed where concepts of semantic navigation are used to tackle the problem of crossing narrow passages, building an additional mapping layer where these passages are automatically detected and marked on the map and an extra planning layer that takes in this semantic information and makes decisions for controlling the lower-level planners. In order to validate this solution tests, in both simulated and real-world environments, were performed to verify if the individual components worked as intended. This thesis resulted in an improvement of the indoor navigation capabilities of the framework and is a base for further development in the area of semantic navigation of Intelligent Wheelchairs.Com o desenvolvimento da tecnologia em robótica, surgem novas oportunidades para melhorar a qualidade de vida de pessoas com problemas de mobilidade. O projeto IntellWheels nasce com o objetivo de criar um kit de hardware e software capaz de transformar uma cadeira de rodas motorizada numa cadeira de rodas inteligente e autónoma. Esta dissertação encaixa neste projeto no tópico de navegação em ambientes interiores com o objetivo de adicionar uma camada semântica à framework de navegação. Em robótica, semântica é a capacidade de um robô entender o seu ambiente. No caso de uma cadeira de rodas inteligente, isto é especialmente importante tendo em conta que transporta um passageiro. Uma solução foi desenvolvida em que conceitos de navegação semântica são usados para abordar o problema de atravessar passagens estreitas, construindo uma camada adicional de mapeamento em que estas passagens são automaticamente identificadas e marcadas no mapa e uma camada extra de planeamento que recebe esta informação e toma decisões controlando os planeadores de nível mais baixo. Para validar esta solução, foram realizados testes, em ambiente simulado e ambiente real para verificar se os componentes individuais funcionavam como pretendido. Esta dissertação resultou numa melhoria das capacidades de navegação em ambientes interiores da framework e é uma base para futuros desenvolvimentos na área de navegação semântica para cadeiras de rodas inteligentes.Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e Telemátic

    Virtual Prototyping and Validation for Autonomous Assistive Mobility

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    Physical disability in humans is something that no one has control over. It is catastrophic for people to experience it, and sometimes hinders them from enjoying the essence of life. Though disability is something people have no control over, they do have control on how they can go forward and make life beautiful and meaningful. Wheelchairs have helped people with disabilities in mobility, allowing them to move around with the help of others or sometimes on their own. This research will focus on development of an autonomous assistive mobility robot to help the disabled using virtual prototyping tools for development and validation. The developed virtual model will also be developed in real world and validated to navigate autonomously. The virtual and real-world autonomous model developed will take a systems engineering approach. The key features of this system are mapping, localisation, and navigating towards a goal autonomously. The virtual model is validated in different virtual environments for its functionality. The real-world model is developed similar to its virtual counterpart and is tested and validated for its functionality. The local path planner implemented is analyzed quantitatively for both the real-world and virtual models. The differences in design and development are analyzed and identified. To conclude, the research has lead to the development of a virtual and real-world model of an autonomous wheelchair that has been tested and validated in both the environments

    Autonomous mobility for an electronic wheelchair

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    Despite the rapid development of medical technologies the health sector does not yet offer any universal remedy for people suffering from permanent impairment of motor functions. Individuals depending on the range of disability require rehabilitation and help to perform the ALDs (activities of daily living). To aid people affected by the impairment and relieve from some duties the ones responsible for helping them the electronic wheelchair was developed. One of the functions of the electronic wheelchair is supposed to be autonomous navigation with speech recognition. The main objective of this project was to extend the existing electronic wheelchair solution with all necessary equipment and software necessary to make the autonomous navigation possible. As a result, a versatile system was created capable of mapping the working space and navigating in both known and unknown dynamic environments. The system allows dynamic obstacle detection and avoidance, basic recovery behaviors and accepts navigation goals provided by speech recognition.A pesar del rápido desarrollo de las tecnologías médicas el sector de la salud todavía no ofrece ningún remedio universal para las personas sufriendo de falta de control motor. Dependiente del rango de discapacidad las personas requieren rehabilitación y ayuda para realizar AC (actividades cotidianas). Para ayudar a las personas afectadas por discapacidad y relevar de algunos deberes la gente que los soporta se desarrolló la silla de ruedas electrónica. Una de las funciones de ya mencionada silla de ruedas debería ser la navegación autónoma con reconocimiento de voz. Entonces el objetivo principal de este proyecto fue extender la solución existente con todo el hardware y software necesarios para que la navegación autónoma sea posible. El proyecto resultado en creación de un sistema versátil capaz de mapear el espacio de trabajo y navegar en entornos también conocidos y desconocidos. El sistema permite detección y evitación dinámica de obstáculos, soporta comportamientos básicos de recuperación y acepta objetivos de navegación proporcionados por el software de reconocimiento de voz

    Human-in-the-Loop Cyber Physical Systems: Modular Designs for Semi-Autonomous Wheelchair Navigation

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    This project involves the design and development of a prototyping platform and open design framework for a semi-autonomous wheelchair to realize a human-in-the-loop cyber physical system as an assistive technology. The system is designed to assist physically locked-in individuals in navigating indoor environments through the use of modular sensor, communication, and control designs. This enables the user to share control with the wheelchair and allows the system to operate semi-autonomously with human-in-the-loop. The Wheelchair Add-on Modules (WAMs) developed for use in this project are platform-independent and facilitate development and application of semi- autonomous functionality

    Autonomous Navigation of Mobile Robots: Marker-based Localization System and On-line Path

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    Traditional wheelchairs are controlled mainly by joystick, which is not suitable solution with major disabilities. Current thesis aiming to create a human-machine interface and create a software, which performs indoor autonomous navigation of the commercial wheelchair RoboEye, developed at the Measurements Instrumentations Robotic Laboratory at the University of Trento in collaboration with Robosense and Xtrensa,. RoboEye is an intelligent wheelchair that aims to support people by providing independence and autonomy of movement, affected by serious mobility problems from impairing pathologies (for example ALS – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). This thesis is divided into two main parts – human machine interface creation plus integration of existing services into developed solution, and performing possible solution how given wheelchair can navigate manually utilizing eye-tracking technologies, TOF cameras, odometric localization and Aruco markers. Developed interface supports manual, semi-autonomous and autonomous navigation. In addition to that following user experience specific for eye-tracking devices and people with major disabilities. Application delevoped on Unity 3D software using C# script following state-machine approach with multiple scenes and components. In the current master thesis, suggested solution satisfies user’s need to navigate hands-free, as less tiring as possible. Moreover, user can choose the destination point from defined in advance points of interests and reach it with no further input needed. User interface is intuitive and clear for experienced and inexperienced users. The user can choose UI’s icons image, scale and font size. Software performs in a state machine module, which is tested among users using test cases. Path planning routine is solved using Dijkstra approach and proved to be efficient
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