iChair: Intelligent Powerchair for Severely Disabled People

Development is underway on an intelligent powerchair (iChair) for people with severe disabilities. Research is focused on developing the software that gives a power chair equipped with computing hardware and state-of-the-art sensors, and the intelligence to assist people who cannot use their arms or legs or eyes, to live a high-quality, independent lifestyle. After a brief overview in the introduction we describe how the iChair was conceived and the various advancements it has undergone to optimize the human computer interaction model (Sec. II). In order to accomplish its tasks when assisting quads with their activities of daily living (ADLs), the iChair is programmed with the following capabilities: localization (Sec. III), object detection & tracking (Sec. IV), object classification (Sec. V), event anticipation (Sec. VI), and autonomous navigation (Sec. VII). Finally we conclude (Sec. VIII) our discussion of the iChair with an optimistic look at a future where quads are on a level playing field with their able-bodied peers, to make a significant contribution to society and maximize their human potential.