Florida Researchers Begin Development of All-Terrain Electric Wheelchairs
From: Daily Tech - 01/03/2011
By: Tiffany Kaiser

Emmanuel Collins, study leader and John H. Seely Professor of Mechanical
Engineering and Director of the Center for Intelligent Systems, Control and
Robotics at the Florida A&M University and Florida State University College
of Engineering, along with a team of researchers, have been working on an
electric wheelchair that will be able to sense rough terrain and readjust its
settings to handle those particular surroundings. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.dailytech.com/Florida+Researchers+Begin+Development+of+AllTerrain+Electric+Wheelchairs/article20546.htm

Links:
Emmanuel Collins
http://www.eng.fsu.edu/~ecollins/

FSU researchers helping electric-wheelchair users move more easily
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-01/fsu-frh010311.php

Florida State's Center for Intelligent Systems, Control and Robotics
http://www.eng.fsu.edu/ciscor/

Human Engineering Research Laboratories
http://www.herlpitt.org/

Rex Device Lets Wheelchair Bound People Walk Again
http://www.dailytech.com/Rex+Device+Lets+Wheelchair+Bound+People+Walk+Again/article19046.htm

Tongue Control System for Spinal Injury Patients Now in Trials
http://www.dailytech.com/Tongue+Control+System+for+Spinal+Injury+Patients+Now+in+Trials/article15621.htm

Robotic Pants Help Paralyzed Humans Walk Again
http://www.dailytech.com/Robotic+Pants+Help+Paralyzed+Humans+Walk+Again/article20317.htm

VA Center of Excellence in Wheelchairs and Associated Rehabilitation Engineering
http://www.herl.research.va.gov/

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FSU Researchers Helping Electric-Wheelchair Users Adjust to Terrain
From: NASA Tech Briefs - 01/24/2011

Researchers at the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of
Engineering are working on technology that will enable electric-powered
wheelchairs to detect hazardous terrain and automatically adjust their
control settings to maneuver more safely.  

Engineers had previously developed automatic terrain-sensing controls for
military robotic vehicles, and several four-wheel-drive automobiles now on
the market include such mechanisms for improved safety. Emmanuel Collins, the
John H. Seely Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the college and director
of Florida State's Center for Intelligent Systems, Control and Robotics
(CISCOR), led an effort to integrate this type of system into
electric-powered wheelchairs to provide more mobility and independence for
their operators. A device known as a laser line striper has been adapted to
classify terrain conditions so the wheelchair control system can self-adjust.  

Collins estimated that if the team develops a strong commercial partner, the
technology could be assisting electric wheelchair users in approximately five
years.  

Read the entire story at:
http://www.eng.fsu.edu/shared/news/article.html?l=electric-wheelchair