Design and Development of Ultrasound-based Wheelchair.

ABSTRACT

A wheelchair is a most commonly used machine in hospitals for patients, mainly those patients who cannot move or walk or who work with great difficulty. A patient on wheelchair has to depend on another person required to control the motion and direction of the wheelchair to avoid obstacles on their path since the patient is not in a condition to control the wheelchair himself. This makes the patient on the wheelchair dependant.1 The prototype of ultrasound-based wheelchair allows patient on the wheelchair to be self-dependant and the wheelchair itself controls the motion by avoiding obstacles in its path. This wheelchair is mainly designed for handicapped people (blind, limp patients mainly) for their domestic purposes. Ultrasoundbased wheelchair avoids obstacles on its path using ultrasound sensors.2 Once an obstacle is detected, the microcontroller gives signal to the motors of the wheel to perform appropriate actions as per the developed algorithm. The designed prototype causes no inconvenience to the patient and allows patient to move within the house or a specified hospital environment. The design cost of ultrasound-based wheelchair prototype is Rs 7000.