Communications of the ACM
System Enables Hands-Free Control of Electric Wheelchairs
People suffering from severe disabilities would be able to use a new recognition system to control an electric-powered wheelchair developed by a team at Essex University. The software makes use of an inexpensive Webcam and a sensing headband to offer hands-free control of wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
Essex's Lai Wei and Huosheng Hu designed the system to use pattern recognition and analyze electromyographic signals from the user's forehead and visual signals to identify five winking and jaw-clenching movements. The researchers have mapped the combination of a left and right wink, with and without a jaw clench, and a jaw clench alone to six control commands.
Users were able to control a wheelchair to navigate an obstacle course and follow specific routes in tests. The researchers say the system could be fine-tuned to suit the particular facial and muscular characteristics of individual users. They also say the technology might allow additional facial expressions and movements to control other devices.
From The Engineer (United Kingdom)
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