title: Using Self-Reliance Factors to Decide How to Share Control Between Human Powered Wheelchair Drivers and Ultrasonic Sensors.
abstract: A shared-control scheme for a powered wheelchair is presented. The wheelchair can be operated by a wheelchair driver using a joystick, or directed by a sensor system, or control can be combined between them. The wheelchair system can modify direction depending on the local environment. Sharing the control allows a disabled wheelchair driver to drive safely and efficiently. The controller automatically establishes the control gains for the sensor system and the human driver by calculating a self-reliance factor for the wheelchair driver. The sensor system can influence the motion of the wheelchair to compensate for some deficiency in a disabled driver. Practical tests validate the proposed techniques and designs.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D003658:Decision Making, Computer-Assisted; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D009048:Motor Skills; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014910:Wheelchairs