Home // INTELLI 2013, The Second International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Applications // View article

Step Climbing and Descending for a Manual Wheelchair with a Network Care Robot

Authors:
Hikaru Kanda
Nobuyuki Yamashima
Eiji Nakano

Keywords: step climbing, wheelchair, robot, cooperation

Abstract:
Realization of step climbing or descending for a heavy cart or a wheelchair using human-friendly robot with manipulators is a technical issue. This paper describes cooperative step climbing and descending tactics for a manual wheelchair and a partner robot that is equipped with manipulators driven by small direct current motors. When the wheelchair and robot climb or descend a step, these vehicles are linked together by the robot hands, and some of the manipulator joints are allowed to move passively. Thus, the manipulators motors do not need to exert major torque to support the vehicles. The velocity differences between the two vehicles is used to pass over the step. When the wheelchair is climbing or descending, the upper links of the manipulators are pressed against the robot's chest to stabilize the wheelchair's movements. In addition, the forearm links of the robot are pressed against, or fixed to, the back of the wheelchair. The robot equipped with manipulator s driven by small motors allows the wheelchair to overcome a step, and then the robot itself is able to overcome the step by using the wheelchair. In an experiment, we connected a teleoperation system for the robot through an intranet and confirmed that these vehicles could cooperatively climb and descend steps.

Pages: 95 to 102

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2013

Publication date: April 21, 2013

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4065

ISBN: 978-1-61208-269-1

Location: Venice, Italy

Dates: from April 21, 2013 to April 26, 2013