Design and Development of a Smart Wheelchair

Abstract

Differently abled is a complex phenomenon that reflects an interaction between the features of a person”s body and the features of the society in which he or she lives. Such persons are seen as being restricted in performing daily activities because of a complex set of interrelating factors, some pertaining to the person, and some to the environment and social/political arrangements. There are many disabilities that make a person differently-abled. Hearing loss, Visual disability, Psychiatric disorders, Mobility, and Physical Impairments, Spinal Cord Disability, Brain Disability, etc. Mobility and Physical Impairments make people suffering from partial paralysis or quadriplegia which affect their limbs. One of the best options for such patients is an appropriate wheelchair which can be controlled by any one of the moving parts of the body. The idea of a smart wheelchair with the help of computers, sensors, and supportive technology is developed. The proposed wheelchair detects the head movement and generates the signals with the help of a headgear with a Gyro sensor. The tilting of the head in left, right, forward and backward is identified by the sensors and the signals are transferred and converted this to the motion of the wheel with the help of a motor that is powered by a battery. This wheelchair avoids the use of joysticks and controls and at the same time provides an economical and easy solution for bringing independence into the life of a quadriplegia patient. The safety of the wheelchair is being taken into account while designing the wheelchair.