Pose Recognition Based Wheelchair Propulsion from a Stationary Point for Elderly Convenience

Aging is an inevitable, natural process that reduces the functionality of the human body over time. Many tasks become too difficult to handle and the body barely hangs on. One such task is the mobility for the geriatric society. People from that age group usually find it hard to go from place to place or will have to depend on someone else for assistance. The purpose of this research is to improve the quality of life for the senior citizens. The research focuses on the design of such a robotic wheelchair which incorporates everything from hardware, software to sensor technology, computer processing and power distribution. When the senior citizen wishes to sit, they will perform a pose from a set of specified poses that elicits a response from the wheelchair in the form of forward movement making it easy for them to be seated. Before propulsion, the distance between the user and the wheelchair is calculated and recorded. While in motion, the wheelchair checks for any obstacles on its path to the user using a simple algorithm incorporating the previously calculated distance. Upon reaching the user, the wheelchair is set to alert the user by the sounding of a buzzer. In the case an obstacle is detected, the wheelchair is set to alert the user in a way that is different as compared to that of alerting the user upon successfully traversing the distance. During the experimentation phase, the wheelchair is triggered and reacts appropriately as and when the poses are performed. The Buzzer is also activated as per the case of either traversing the complete distance or encountering an obstacle. Results from the performance testing demonstrate its functionality as a possible care-giving solution to the senior citizens