For people with disabilities and wheelchairs, the public space in real life is not a smooth road, but full of slopes, obstacles and "the floor is wet" signs. For example, the aisle of a shopping mall needs to turn around many times to reach the shelf, which are not small challenges.
Electric wheelchair is a good invention, but it is still a challenging task for the disabled to control it well. According to a blog article published on February 10 by the US Physics Network, a research team at The Kent University in the UK is conducting a study aimed at improving the independence and quality of life of the wheelchair for the disabled, which focuses on the complex obstacle tracking technology and the design of wheelchairs. Navigation function based on eye movement.
As early as 2016, a French research team mentioned the technology in an article published in the International Journal of Computer Applications, and the wheelchair being developed by the British research team can not only move in narrow space, but also avoid wheelchair paths. Obstacles, and strive to help disabled people better live through the development of auxiliary systems and enhanced wheelchair robots.
It is worth noting that turning the head is not the only way to operate the wheelchair. In an interview with PCMag magazine, the researchers said: "We use a combination of technologies, including tracking the movement of the user's head, iris or nose, to control the wheelchair. According to Dr. Konstantinos Sirlantzis, a senior lecturer at the University, his vision for future wheelchair designs is that they will surely achieve more functions by adding robotic components and external components. Specifically, the latest technology will play three roles in this design: (1) wheelchairs can communicate with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth; (2) there is a mobile phone application software that can control and operate wheelchairs; (3) parking assistance technology based on ultrasonic and visual sensors used in semi-automatic vehicles.
In addition, Geek.Com also points out that this wheelchair can be used while learning - it learns about users and their preferences. "These intelligent wheelchairs can use artificial intelligence to understand users'sports preferences, driving styles and current physiological conditions," the researchers said. In addition, Joel Hruska of ExtremeTech.com explains, "Integrating AI into the wheelchair is designed to provide abundant auxiliary data for the wheelchair so that it can assess the overall state of its users." The wheelchair can collect real-time data and send notifications when users need help.
In the future, the project will step out of the ivory tower and work with other institutions, including hospitals under the National Health Service. At present, they have recruited 10 disabled people to participate in the experiment through the neurorehabilitation Department of a local hospital.
Researchers point out that an important principle in wheelchair design is that "one size fits all" is by no means a practical rule. Users'abilities may change over time, as things may improve. Hruska revealed that Dr. Sirlantzis's research focus has shifted to modular systems where components can be integrated into wheelchairs. In an interview with PCMag, the researchers listed some modules of the wheelchair, such as iris detection components, which users can move with a blink of an eye. Sirlantzis concluded by explaining: "We have a combination of technologies, including controlling wheelchairs by tracking the movement of the user's head, iris or nose, and the function of which components to use depends on the user's body function, which fluctuates over time and as the patient evolves."
From the Internet