For those without use or with limited use of their upper body, conventional manual wheelchairs can be hard to use and insufficient for their needs. Proper mobility devices are often expensive and inaccessible.
To help this community, a team of students from the University of Ibadan IEEE Student Branch in Ibadan, Nigeria have collaborated with The Bowels of Mercy to create a smart wheelchair to help those who are paralyzed at a much lower cost than traditional wheelchairs.
In order to accomplish this, the team retrofitted traditional manual wheelchairs with motors and smart capabilities. They used a Nano TinyML microcontroller, which can control speed, a physical controller, a smartphone app for remote control, and other important features like obstacle detection using sensors and internet connectivity. This allows for the remote and voice control options they offer to the user. A lithium-ion battery is used for power.
Another important feature is the customization capabilities, allowing the user to tailor the chair to their specific needs. It allows the user to be more independent as well, with remote control abilities and obstacle detection that ensures safety. They also installed an emergency stop button should the need arise.
Overall, the team hopes that their project offers an improvement in quality of life for its users, addressing accessibility issues in our world and providing an affordable solution.
The team hopes to collaborate with accessibility experts to ensure that the needs of users are being met. They will conduct training sessions for users and caregivers to ensure proper instruction and safety precautions are being taken.
This project was made possible by a $2,620.00 grant from EPICS in IEEE.