Successful First Test Drive of "Sighted" Wheelchair
From: Lulea University of Technology (Sweden) - 05/11/2011
By: Katarina Karlsson 

Lulea University of Technology researchers led by Lulea professor Kalevi
Hyyppa have developed an electric wheelchair that can detect the surrounding
environment and transmit the information to a visually impaired user. The
wheelchair is equipped with a joystick for steering and a haptic robot that
acts as a virtual white cane. A laser scanner produces a three-dimensional
(3D) map, which is transferred to the haptic robot so that the visually
impaired user can feel nearby obstacles. "This may be [an] important aid for
the visually impaired who are wheelchair users," Hyyppa says. "Many have
already been in touch with me and asked if they can come for a test drive."
However, he says the wheelchair can be improved. The laser scanner can only
see objects at a specific height, and the researchers are working to develop
a 3D camera that can produce a full 3D measurement. The researchers estimate
that they can produce a wheelchair ready for manufacturing in about five
years. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.ltu.se/research/Lyckad-forsta-provkorning-av-seende-rullstol-1.78980?l=en

Links:
Kalevi Hyyppä
http://www.ltu.se/staff/k/kalevi-1.11600?l=en

GIMnet on the MICA Wheelchair
http://pure.ltu.se/portal/files/4894669/GIMnet_on_MICA.pdf

Daniel Innala Ahlmark
http://danielshome.webs.com/