1. Principles and practices¶
This week I worked on defining my final project idea and started to getting used to the documentation process. This section discusses my final project idea.
Smart Wheelchair Kit¶
I plan to build a smart wheelchair kit that is customized for the needs of people with ASL, which stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.
Key Features¶
Given that people with ASL cannot easily, use their hands, the kit will include the following autonomous features: - Computer vision-based Control of a flip top table by two fast blinks - Speech recognition-based wheelchair driving - Obstacle avoidance and automatic braking systems
Initial Design¶
Depicted in the below image, a camera will be mounted on the wheelchair to track the face of the user. Moreover, I will use two motors to control the movement of the wheelchair. The kit will also include a flippable table.
Means of Fabrication¶
- Table: CNC machined or laser cut
- Camera mount: 3D printed