Sensible Wheelchair

For safety during mobility.
by Stella Kim, Amanda Syuarfan, Susan


Problem: Clients who use wheelchairs for everyday mobility sometimes demonstrate difficulty in determining the amount of space needed for passing by objects or through doorways during wheelchair propulsion. This ultimately leads to cuts and bruises along the clients arms and hands.

Solution: Create a device for either side of the wheelchair using the IR sensor. This device will function by providing an auditory alarm that increases in speed and intensity as the client approaches stationary objects and doorways. A more advanced model could be activated by movement, where the sensors will be silent when the wheelchair is not in motion.

Analog Sensor: This is an integrated sensor with IR emitter, detector, optics and timing logic. Its output is an analog voltage proportional to the distance to the nearest object in its field of view. The output signal is compatible with low-cost ADC circuits including those built into many robot controllers. The sensor can detect objects within a range of approximately 8" (20cm) to 59" (150cm).".
http://www.acroname.com/robotics/parts/R144-GP2Y0A02YK.html