Computer assistance for a disabled user/operator to navigate a vehicle through a doorway

A real time method of computer assistance for a disabled user/operator to move a vehicle through a doorway is presented. An electric wheelchair is used as an example vehicle. Automatic programming, motion planning, obstacle avoidance, sensor integration, and control methods are presented which assist a user/operator in controlling the wheelchair. Electric wheelchairs are generally directed along a path using manual controls, usually a joystick connected to switches. In the work described in this paper, data from ultrasonic sensors and other sensors is processed and combined with the information from these switches. The output is used to assist the user/operator in steering the vehicle. A veto is always left with the operator