Robotic wheelchair moving with caregiver collaboratively depending on circumstances

This paper introduces a robotic wheelchair that can automatically move alongside a caregiver. Because wheelchair users are often accompanied by caregivers, it is vital to consider how to reduce a caregiver's load and support their activities, while simultaneously facilitating communication between the caregiver and the wheelchair user. Moreover, it has been pointed out that when a wheelchair user is accompanied by a companion, the latter is inevitably seen by others as a caregiver rather than a friend. To address this situation, we devised a robotic wheelchair able to move alongside a caregiver or companion, and facilitate easy communication between them and the wheelchair user. To confirm the effectiveness of the wheelchair in real-world situations, we conducted experiments at an elderly care center in Japan.