Automated navigation system for eye-based wheelchair controls

Abstract

© 2014 IEEE. An electric wheelchair is basically acknowledged for mobility improvement in disability patients. In some cases, their hand could not well function. They may tire easy before reaching to the desired destination. Furthermore, the safety is the most concerned issue for wheelchair control in disability patients. Therefore, this work tries to develop the prototype of the automated navigation system that could safely navigate and facilitate comfortable to the disability patients. In the proposed work, the patients could simply control the wheelchair directions (manual control mode) or select just the destination (automatic navigation mode) by using eye-based wheelchair control. The results revealed that 100% accuracy could be achieved in the trained normal subject with approximately 5 seconds of eye calibration time. The user could enter or exit the system by eye closing protocol. The wheelchair could be accurately navigated on the pre-located mapping. In addition, the obstacles could be detected and safely avoided by the developed automated navigation system.