Cranial Movement Controlled Wheelchair

This paper introduces a wheelchair controlled by head movements, offering a vital solution for people with quadriplegia or tetraplegia, who make up a significant portion of the global wheelchair-using population. With hundreds of thousands of new spinal cord injury cases each year, this technology enhances independence. The wheelchair uses head tilts for navigation: tilting forward moves it ahead, while left and right tilts steer it via Ackerman steering geometry. Combined head movements, like left-forward or right-forward, achieve blended directions. The wheelchair features an obstacle detection system to prevent collisions, GPS for tracking, and Bluetooth communication between the headpiece and control units. A scaled-down prototype was developed for cost efficiency. Key findings include the importance of a well-fitted helmet, an obstacle detection range of at least 30 cm, and optimal location tracking in open or semi-open spaces.