Closing conference of SYSIASS – June 17 th 2014 Assistive navigation for powered wheelchair Jean-Marc Capron Enseignant - Chercheur ISEN

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th 2014 Agenda Some questions (and answers…): Why ?  Motivations of this work What ?  Objectives How and who ?  Presentation of the different scenarii Where are we ?  Summary & Perspectives 2

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th 2014 Motivations Driving a powered wheelchair can be difficult with some forms of disability  assisted navigation could help some people to use such an equipment Private homes are usualy not sized for powered wheelchairs  driving assistance can be beneficial to maintain at home some elder or disabled people 3 MotivationsObjectivesDifferent scenarii Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th 2014 Objectives Ease access to powered wheelchairs Improve the autonomy of users Offer different assistance levels according to users’ need Be realistic with the cost of proposed solutions Let the control to user whenever it’s possible 4 MotivationsObjectivesDifferent scenarii Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th 2014 Different scenarii 1 st level: collision avoidance  the wheelchair stops when an obstacle is too close 2 nd level: obstacle avoidance  the wheelchair deviates when an obstacle is detected 3 rd level: autonomous navigation  the wheelchair can find its trajectory by itself 5 MotivationsObjectivesDifferent scenarii Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: collision avoidance objective: the user is in the loop and is the only driver  the wheelchair is stopped before beating an obstacle (wall, another person, set of furniture) objective: the wheelchair must be equipped with sensors Ultrasound (US): cheap (10 €),  wide beam  “slow”, sensitive to crosstalk Infrared (IR): cheap (10 €), instantaneous information  very directive Laser / Lidar: multidirectional detection, instantaneous information  expensive (1000 €), mounting on the wheelchair 6 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: collision avoidance objective: the user is in the loop and is the only driver  the wheelchair is stopped before beating an obstacle (wall, another person, set of furniture) objective: the wheelchair must be equipped with sensors Ultrasound (US): cheap (10 €),  wide beam  “slow”, sensitive to crosstalk Infrared (IR): cheap (10 €), instantaneous information  very directive Laser / Lidar: multidirectional detection, instantaneous information  expensive (1000 €), mounting on the wheelchair 7 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: collision avoidance 1 st prototype developped at ISEN: 8 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives Dupont Medical wheelchair Dynamic Controls electronics system 9 US sensors 2 IR sensors visual feedback  justifies why the wheelchair is stopped  indicates the obstacles on the rear

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: collision avoidance functions achieved by the assistance: 9 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives the sensors are activated according to the direction chosen by the user the speed is decreased according to the distance with obstacles the wheelchair is stopped when the distance is below a certain threshold the assistance can be activated/unactivated thanks to a key button

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: collision avoidance 1 st prototype developped at ISEN: 10 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: collision avoidance 1 st prototype developped at ISEN: 11 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: clinical tests 12 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives Clinical tests at Hospital of Garches, France Tests held during 1 st semester of 2012 Ethics Approvals: clinical protocol approved by AFSSAPS (French agency for health and sanitary security) and the CPP (Commission for the protection of people) at the end of December 2011 Pilot study of 27 users divided into 3 groups – Group 1: 9 healthy volunteers who had never driven an electric wheelchair – Group 2: 9 experienced electric wheelchair users – Group 3: 9 users who didn’t pass the electric wheelchair driver’s licence

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: clinical tests 13 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives Methodology: implement 2 circuits that simulate a real life indoor environment (walls, doors, obstacles) Goal: reduce the number and severity of collisions 2 Cartons to simulate daily life doorways

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: clinical tests 14 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives Number of collisions

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: clinical tests 15 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives Average time in seconds

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th st scenario: clinical tests 16 MotivationsObjectives1 st scenario Summary & Perspectives conclusions of these first tests: The users who tried this 1 st prototype of the device didn’t find it very useful They have the feeling that the device is not able to help them (it just slows down the progress of the wheelchair) A technical aid which seems useful from a scientific and medical point of view is not necessarily accepted by the users  The implementation of the 2 nd scenario is necessary

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th nd scenario: obstacle avoidance objectives:  the user sets the main direction  the wheelchair deviates around an obstacle  the wheelchair is no longer stopped so easily  corridor travelling is eased  passing through a doorway is eased methodology: “potential field” (the wheelchair is “pushed away” by obstacles) 17 MotivationsObjectives2 nd scenario Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th nd scenario: obstacle avoidance illustrating “potential field”: 18 MotivationsObjectives2 nd scenario Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th nd scenario: obstacle avoidance several prototypes developped at ISEN & University of Canterbury: 19 MotivationsObjectives2 nd scenario Summary & Perspectives Invacare wheelchair Dynamic Controls electronics system 9 US sensors 4 IR sensors visual feedback on PC  mainly used for debugging ISEN’s chair:

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th nd scenario: obstacle avoidance 20 MotivationsObjectives2 nd scenario Summary & Perspectives ISEN’s chair: corridor navigation

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th nd scenario: obstacle avoidance 21 MotivationsObjectives2 nd scenario Summary & Perspectives ISEN’s chair: doorway passing

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th nd scenario: obstacle avoidance 2 prototypes developped at University of Kent: 22 MotivationsObjectives2 nd scenario Summary & Perspectives 1 « custom-built » + 1 Invacare wheelchairs 1 « custom-built » + 1 Dynamic Controls electronics systems 8 US sensors IR sensors haptic feedback (vibrating joystick) 2 line IR cameras

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th nd scenario: obstacle avoidance 23 MotivationsObjectives2 nd scenario Summary & Perspectives Univ. of Kent’s chair: corridor navigation

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th nd scenario: obstacle avoidance 24 MotivationsObjectives2 nd scenario Summary & Perspectives Univ. of Kent’s chair: doorway passing

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th nd scenario: obstacle avoidance navigation algorithm is currently transfered to wheelchair for clinical tests at Kent and Canterbury Hospital. Approval for clinical tests has been obtained in May MotivationsObjectives2 nd scenario Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th rd scenario: autonomous navigation objective: the wheelchair finds its way by itself Robot Operating System (ROS) for navigation & control (embedded PC core i5) 16 US sensors 2 Hokuyo Lasers 1 Kinect sensor 26 MotivationsObjectives3 rd scenario Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th rd scenario: autonomous navigation 27 MotivationsObjectives3 rd scenario Summary & Perspectives Univ. of Essex’s chair: doorway passing

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th 2014 Summary Several wheelchairs prototypes developed by 3 partners Collision avoidance: low-cost solution clinical tests achieved at Hospital of Garches & Institut “La Vie Devant Soi” moderate acceptance by users Obstacle avoidance: low-cost solution prototypes in final phase of development eases corridor navigation & doorway passing clinical tests planned at Hospital of Kent in next months 28 MotivationsObjectivesDifferent scenarii Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th 2014 Summary autonomous navigation: mid-cost solution efficiency demonstrated for doorway passing 29 MotivationsObjectivesDifferent scenarii Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th 2014 Perspectives validate with next clinical tests if current approach is sufficient to fulfil the needs of users finalize a common platform for all partners 30 MotivationsObjectivesDifferent scenarii Summary & Perspectives

Closing conference of SYSIASS June 17 th 2014 Acknowledgments 31 MotivationsObjectivesDifferent scenarii Summary & Perspectives Hôpital et Fondation de Garches Association La Vie devant Soi – Centre Hélène Borel Kent Hospital