A Driving Behaviour Model of Electrical Wheelchair Users

• Published in: Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience Vol. 2016; no. 2016; pp. 458 - 477
• Main Authors: Daachi, B., Djouani, K., Hamam, Y., Onyango, S. O., Steyn, N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Limiteds 01-01-2016; Hindawi Publishing Corporation; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Adaptation; Adult; Aged; Algorithms; Behavior; Computer Simulation; Equipment Design; Female; Humans; Identification; Least squares method; Male; Manoeuvring; Mathematical models; Middle Aged; Modelling; Physically disabled persons; Planning; Potential fields; Self-help devices for the disabled; Steering; Steering-gear; User interface; User satisfaction; User-Computer Interface; Wheelchairs
• ISSN: 1687-5265; 1687-5273
• DOI: 10.1155/2016/7189267

In spite of the presence of powered wheelchairs, some of the users still experience steering challenges and manoeuvring difficulties that limit their capacity of navigating effectively. For such users, steering support and assistive systems may be very necessary. To appreciate the assistance, there is need that the assistive control is adaptable to the user’s steering behaviour. This paper contributes to wheelchair steering improvement by modelling the steering behaviour of powered wheelchair users, for integration into the control system. More precisely, the modelling is based on the improved Directed Potential Field (DPF) method for trajectory planning. The method has facilitated the formulation of a simple behaviour model that is also linear in parameters. To obtain the steering data for parameter identification, seven individuals participated in driving the wheelchair in different virtual worlds on the augmented platform. The obtained data facilitated the estimation of user parameters, using the ordinary least square method, with satisfactory regression analysis results.