Electric Wheelchair Control Interface Using Tactile Sensors on an Armrest

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to provide a control interface with less body movement than joysticks, which have been used to control electric wheelchairs. The force applied to the wheelchair armrest by the user was used for controlling the wheelchair. We used tactile sensors that measured three axis force, which is normal force and shear forces in two directions. The user placed his arm on the armrest, on which four tactile sensors were fixed, and shear forces were measured by the tactile sensors. The averaged shear forces in the anteroposterior and lateral directions were used as the input of translational and turning speed of the wheelchair, respectively.