Notices Reading Support System Using Omnidirectional Electric Wheelchair

Abstract

This paper proposed the notice reading support system using the omnidirectional electric wheelchair. Firstly, we examined the distance range which user felt like moving a general wheelchair to see the notices located at a far place on the bulletin board. There was a tendency that the user started to approach the target notices by operating the general wheelchair even though the target notice could be seen within ability of eyesight. Next, we carried out the same experiment with an omnidirectional electric wheelchair. Because of the higher moving flexibility of the omnidirectional electric wheelchair than the general wheelchair, user tended to move along with the notice board. Furthermore, we investigated the characteristics of the user's nostril positions in turning the face toward the target notices, and it was applied to control of the omnidirectional electric wheelchair. Consequently, the user could automatically move forward to the front of the gazing notices by the developed system.