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Robotic Wheelchair
Artificial Autonomics & Robotic Interface, For Paralysis Victims; built in 1998, in 2 weeks, with only a budget of $275.
The robotic chair above can operate a five range of motion arm, move objects, draw on paper and maneuver around a room by sensing three facial movements. In theory and in practice the chair uses a custom designed control console and unique Boolean matrix to control fourteen separate functions.
Multimedia Clip of our Facial Feature Controlled Prototype
This prototype was chosen to be demonstrated before the "International Conference On Rehabilitation Robotics" "(ICORR)" at Stanford University, in California, on July 1999.
Feature Controlled Wheelchair This experiment uses only three
facial movements to utilizes fourteen functions that control a five range
of motion robotic arm and a mobile wheelchair base, while relating it’s
status through a visual indicator console. This design is easy to control
and allows multitasking. It maneuvers around a room in any direction, can
pick up and move objects, and allow the user to print or draw on a vertical
surface with primitive strokes. The robotic chair was created on a budget
of $275.00. Our limited budget forced us to try to condense it’s circuits
and power distribution by designing an unusual circuit which takes simple
signals from sensors on a patient’s face and integrates them through a
matrix of wires, relays and electronics which relate Boolean logic
and power distribution in both directions and on one set of common paths.
Next Phase Wheelchair The exoskeleton design
redefines the concept of earlier experiments by reconfiguring the
unit to appear to fit like armor without the drive components being directly
visible. As illustrated this design would reduce the bulky look associated
with such concepts . Each range of motion would have both mechanical and
electronic limits to insure that hazardous over travel in a given range
of motion does not occur. The design would embody the concept of
an artificial motor control and instinctive reactionary system,
that links to a patient’s features.
Artificial Touch Additional information will post shortly.
Preliminary experiment was successful.
In each design the challenge in configuration is the inability of a patient to easily convey enough motion request data to the artificial system for fluid movement and quick action. To accommodate this problem, modes of operation can be designed to take care of known factors of movement relating to the surrounding environment. A mode can for example be balancing a glass of water, performing an emergency action to avoid tipping, calling for help if the patients vital signs are questionable, calculating climbing angles for rough terrain, navigating towards an object, shaking hands, etc. Safety I distribute functional limitations across a robotic device to increase the chances of safe operation. For instance limits and simple logic circuits relate positions of arms and will not let them travel beyond a safe point regardless of what the main circuit board tells it to do. I believe that robots would ideally have their “Electronic Brain” spread out across the entire robots body, freeing the main boards to imply actions rather than being the total governing discipline.
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