Take Control of a Wheelchair With a Steady Jaw and a Wink, University of Essex Study

For people with severe physical disabilities, such as spinal cord injury, quadriplegia and hemiplegia or amputation, current technology for controlling a wheelchair or mobility scooter is wholly inadequate. A research paper published this month in the International Journal of Mechatronics and Automation now shows how an inexpensive webcam and a bio-signal sensing headband can be used to control the steering and propulsion of an electric wheelchair. Lai Wei and Huosheng Hu in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, in Wivenhoe Park near Colchester, have developed a novel hybrid human-machine interface (HMI) for hands-free control of electric powered wheelchairs.

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