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Please Note: The technology listed below is not available to the public at this time. This technology is in the early stage of research and requires further development before it is ready for the marketplace. The VA is currently in the process of identifying potential companies who may be interested in licensing and/or further developing the technology through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA). Through cooperative research initiatives such as these, it is our hope and goal that commercial products will be fully developed and made available to benefit veterans and others.
VA TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITY BRIEF
Computer-Controlled Power Wheelchair Navigation System
(#01-021)
OPPORTUNITY
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking a commercial partner to further
develop this technology through a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement
(CRADA) in order to expedite bringing it to market.
BACKGROUND
A significant population of severely disabled people requires mobility assistance
in daily living activities beyond what is available in manual or powered wheelchairs.
The subject technology is aimed at a segment of that population that is unable
to manually guide the movements of powered wheelchairs. This technology provides
them with autonomous navigation capabilities in repetitively used environments
such as homes, offices, hospitals, and conceivably in public buildings. The
system consists of encoding and video capture devices to provide accurate ongoing
estimates of the wheelchair's position and orientation, ultrasonic sensors to
detect obstacles, and a computer programmed to the drive-systems of commercially
available powered wheelchairs. The computer's software has the function of path
and destination learning, recognition of obstacles, and navigation to a selected
destination, and is intended to enable independent mobility for severely handicapped
persons.
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
The Computer-Controlled Power Wheelchair Navigation System was created to provide
the physically disabled with a means of "on command" navigation over frequently
used paths. The system was designed to operate with minimal rider input consisting
only of supervisory commands (purely autonomous operation). Alternatively, the
system may be turned off and the chair operated by joystick or other controls.
This system utilizes any commercially available motorized wheelchair as its
base and is powered by a 12-volt battery. Navigation is accomplished by the
use of an extended Kalman-filter-based estimator with interface software running
on an onboard laptop computer. Dual cameras, proximity sensors, microphones,
and rotation sensors for the wheels are mounted to the wheelchair. By the use
of these electronic components, the specialized software and small visual markers
placed on the walls of the rider's home or office, the computer-controlled wheelchair
is able to travel autonomously to locations that it has been taught to follow.
The wheelchair is taught paths to its destinations by having an able-bodied
person push the chair, with or without the rider, along any desired route of
travel while the computer records information from the sensors. Once these destinations
have been taught, the rider can then select by voice or switch mode, any of
these locations and the navigation system will steer the wheelchair to that
place. Paths can be reversed and/or merged to reach a desired location in order
to avoid an obstacle. The system will choose the shortest uninterrupted path
to its destination. The technology has been successfully prototyped, demonstrated
and evaluated.
TECHNICAL MERIT
The following are the key advantages of this system:
- Readily engaged for autonomous navigation or disengaged for manual steering; suitable for a wide spectrum of users with degenerative conditions who have diminishing functional ability.
- Obstacle avoidance for obstructions in the wheelchair path. Adaptable to multiple user communication devices or switches to accommodate different users abilities.
- Teach-repeat design is unique, reliable, and incorporates complex human motions and path planning. An able person directing the wheelchair over a desired path to the target destination accomplishes the path-teaching task.
- The system is adaptable to a number of platforms and can be used with any number of wheelchair devices.
PATENT STATUS
US application was filed on July 2, 2002 (10/187,989)
International patent application was filed on June 18, 2003 (PCT/US03/18946)
Continuation-In-Part application to to US application (10/187,989) was filed on July 14, 2004 (10/890,411)
US patent issued on January 11, 2005 (6,842,692)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Saleem Sheredos
Program Manager
Technology Transfer Program
Veterans Affairs
Office of Research & Development (12TT)
5th Floor
103 South Gay Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
202-380-5080
Fax 410.962.2141
e-mail: saleem.sheredos@va.gov