Design of Intelligent Autonomous Mobility Assistance in Robotic Wheelchairs

Wheelchairs are a necessity for those with mobility issues. Over 100 million people worldwide require or utilize wheelchairs. A wheelchair is an assistive technology which provides independent mobility for persons with disability who cannot move alone or have limited movement. For instance, paraplegic, quadriplegic, post-stroke patients, and spinal cord-injured people need assistance for movement from one place to another. Additionally, wheelchairs assist in daily activity or achieving goals for those with severe disabilities. Recent years have seen considerable advancements in autonomous mobility technology, and numerous research projects are currently being conducted with the goal of creating autonomous wheelchair mobility solutions. Path planning and obstacle detection are key factors in autonomous mobility solutions, which are taken care of in robotic wheelchairs. Research and development for robotic wheelchairs are escalating due to its importance to maintain independence and health. Wheelchairs can be manual and electric-powered (EPWs). Robotic EPWs are innovations that came naturally from scientific research into how to use assistive robotics, medical informatics, and human–computer interaction capabilities to improve the traditional wheelchair’s attributes. The ability to navigate and the automatic customization of the user interface are two of the most crucial characteristics of the robotic wheelchair. We provide brief insights into the robotic wheelchair, including topics like path planning, obstacle detection, assistance in daily life of persons with disability, and autonomous mobility integrating various independent sensors. The chapter includes a detailed explanation of implementation and applications of various algorithms used in intelligent robotic wheelchair design including path planning algorithms like SLAM, obstacle detection algorithms such as the velocity obstacle method, follow the gap method, and bug algorithms, along with machine learning and deep learning algorithms, which have impacted notably in autonomous wheelchair mobility solutions.