Electric Wheelchair Control Using Head Velocity-Based Gesture Recognition Specializing in Turning Motion

Abstract

We have been developing the "Smart Workcell," which supports the elderly and disabled in the high-mix, low-volume production of products and self-help devices. This study installed an electric wheelchair in a Smart Workcell and proposed a velocity-based head gesture control system that uses the face orientation acquired by a depth sensor to allow the user to change the chair posture in an ambient manner. Finally, the proposed system's effectiveness is verified by experiments, and prospects, such as speech recognition methods as a human interface for electric wheelchair are also discussed.