SIRIUS: improving the maneuverability of powered wheelchairs

The indoor maneuverability of powered wheelchairs may be difficult or bothersome in several circumstances. In this paper, we describe an experimental powered wheelchair named SIRIUS, developed at the University of Seville, which introduces some simple but effective navigation aids. Special emphasis is placed on the implementation of recorded trajectory playback and in the shared control modes, i.e., the chair´s guiding where both the user and the computer collaborate. Furthermore, SIRIUS is an open platform to essay another kinds of functional or navigational aids, because its hardware architecture is based on a commercial PC. This would permit many devices that are frequently needed by the chair driver to be integrated smoothly into the chair controller.