Smart Electric Wheelchair

Principal Investigator: Professor Peng LU (Assistant Professor from Department of Mechanical Engineering)

This project is showcased in the fourth exhibition – Innovation for Impacts.

About the scholar

Professor Peng Lu

Research interests:
  • Autonomous UAVs including vision, planning and control,
  • Vision and control for ground robotics such as manipulators and walking robots
  • Advanced control techniques such as fault-tolerant control, model-based control, and deep reinforcement learning control
Email:lupeng@hku.hk

Website: https://arclab.hku.hk

Project information

The intelligent electric wheelchair is a mobile mechanism based on SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology, with the capability of autonomous perception and autonomous operation. The existing electric wheelchairs are mobility vehicles controlled by the user as the means of control. However, through SLAM technology, combined with various forms of quick-release components, it not only can achieve the purpose of carrying people, but also can complete the transportation of goods and other functions.

 

Novelty

  • Simultaneous localization and mapping
  • Facilitate the mobility of people with physical limitations and perceptual difficulties 
Project video
Project images
Smart wheelchair model: The first version of the wheelchair. This wheelchair can perform autonomous driving. The wheelchair can turn almost omnidirectionally.
A model which is used to test advanced fast planning and obstacle avoidance algorithms. This form can drive very fast, so we can test extreme situations where the driving speed of the wheelchair is fast.
Timeline of the development of the wheelchair
Other projects
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