This paper discusses a versatile wheelchair control system of potential use to complete quadriplegics. This system employs plug-in components using a common control protocol between the distributed computers. Two headset plug-in units have been developed together with two prototype wheelchairs and an automatic shopping trolley. The trolley would be of most use to a paraplegic, but suggestions are made to show how this could potentially be developed to plug into the control system as a type of "personal assistant". The system has been prototyped using language-independent commands so that it can potentially be used by quadriplegics speaking any of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken on Earth. LEGO MindStorms NXT equipment has been used to prototype this system.

Item Type:	Refereed Conference Paper
Keywords:	control systems, wheelchairs, assistive technologies for people with disabilities, prototype, quadriplegics
Research Division:	Engineering
Research Group:	Biomedical engineering
Research Field:	Rehabilitation engineering
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Evaluation of health and support services
Objective Field:	Evaluation of health and support services not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Chen, Y (Ms Ying Chen)
ID Code:	82175
Year Published:	2012
Deposited By:	Information and Communication Technology
Deposited On:	2013-01-17
Last Modified:	2014-12-02
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