A Shared -Control Strategy for Intelligent Wheelchairs Using Face Orientation and Potential Fields

Título: A Shared -Control Strategy for Intelligent Wheelchairs Using Face Orientation and Potential Fields

Autores: Elias José de Rezende Freitas, Christyan Ribeiro de Amorim Honorato & Luciano C. A. Pimenta

Resumo: The wheelchair is an essential tool for the social integration of people with disabilities. The standard user interface for conventional electric wheelchairs is a joystick. However, some individuals, particularly the elderly and those with severe physical impairments, may be unable to use it. This paper proposes an alternative user interface for controlling wheelchairs based on face orientation. This interface uses a webcam to detect head movements in real time. The proposed method estimates yaw, pitch, and roll angles by extracting facial features from the image. A shared-control strategy based on potential fields is incorporated to enhance safety and usability, allowing the system to adjust or override user inputs when a LiDAR sensor detects obstacles. Simulation results demonstrate the approach’s feasibility and effectiveness.

Palavras-chave: intelligent wheelchair; shared-control; face orientation; potential fields.

Páginas: 7

Código DOI: 10.21528/CBIC2025-1190946

Artigo em PDF: CBIC_2025_paper1190946.pdf

Arquivo BibTeX:
CBIC_2025_1190946.bib