Augmenting a voice and facial expression control of a robotic wheelchair with assistive navigation

In this work, we are presenting a navigation framework for electric wheelchairs which integrates various alternative input interfaces (voice control with Google Glass, voice control with CMU Sphinx, and facial expression control with Emotiv EPOC) with assistive navigation. Assistive navigation compensates for the limitations of the alternative interfaces by implementing obstacle avoidance. This enables people with limited control over their limbs to freely navigate within indoor environments. A set of use cases designed to ensure safe and reliable navigation is also presented.