Advancements in intelligent wheelchairs: a scoping review

Abstract When designed to meet users’ needs and consider their environment, wheelchairs have the capability to increase participation and positively affect the users’ quality of life. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques has tremendous potential to enhance the intelligence aspect of powered wheelchairs (PW) by providing solutions to predict harms, collect a variety of data, including new and existing data, and contribute to comfort improvement initiatives. However, the use of existing intelligent PW (IPW) can be challenging and can pose safety concerns while not fully meeting user needs. A literature search was conducted in July 2024, using three databases: Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. Articles were included if they reported improvements in IPWs based on AI techniques and user-centered design. Technological advancements based on AI techniques will allow IPWs to offer a better quality of life to their users by addressing the challenges they face in real settings. This scoping review found that efforts are being made to provide tools for route navigation, train users to operate IPWs in various situations, offer multiple control options, and improve comfort while preventing pressure ulcers due to limited mobility.