Intelligent Wheelchair Robot "TAO Aicle"

Abstract

In this chapter, we introduced an autonomous traveling control system for the "TAO Aicle" wheelchair with a view to increasing the quality of life of wheelchair users as well as their caregivers. Autonomous and safe traveling control was achieved by assistance from the infrastructure, such as GPS and RFID tags which provide accurate positioning. Our demonstration experiments at Aichi Expo confirmed the safety and reliability of the developed "TAO Aicle" system. By further analyzing minor problems that occurred (e.g., failure to avoid an obstacle, deviating from the desired path), we will seek to achieve improvements that enable the practical use of the "TAO Aicle" wheelchair.