Technological advancements at an HBCU aide individuals with disabilities in navigating congested surroundings.
Morgan State University, a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution, has made a significant stride in accessibility with the development of an autonomous wheelchair. The innovative technology was unveiled at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI Airport).
The autonomous wheelchair, a collaborative effort between Dr. Mansoureh Jeihani, director of the National Transportation Center (NTC) and the SMARTER Center, and Dr. Kofi Nyarko, director of the Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems (CEAMLS), both from Morgan State University, aims to provide mobility and independence for people with disabilities, making public spaces more inclusive.
The wheelchair is equipped with advanced perception, navigation, and steering capabilities, similar to those found in autonomous vehicles. It uses cameras and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors to understand its surroundings. Machine learning and computer vision algorithms interpret this sensory data, enabling the wheelchair to detect obstacles, navigate paths, and steer effectively.
Users interact with the system through a smartphone application. To access the wheelchair, passengers must register or log into the app. Once authenticated, they can summon the wheelchair by scanning a QR code from designated areas. They can then specify their destination for autonomous travel.
The wheelchair is integrated with an Autonomous Mobility System, built upon conventional wheelchair hardware. This integration improves independence and mobility for disabled users in busy public spaces like airports, museums, and military bases. Demonstrations at BWI Airport showed the wheelchair successfully navigating from pickup points through security checkpoints, illustrating practical use within complex, real-world settings.
The project, led by Dr. Jeihani, reflects over five years of research and development focused on creating accessible mobility solutions. The interdisciplinary teams from Morgan State’s NTC, SMARTER Center, and CEAMLS were involved in the development, demonstrating the university's commitment to innovation and inclusivity.
Passengers can retrieve the autonomous wheelchair by scanning the QR code from designated areas. The development of the autonomous wheelchair technology is supported by years of research, aiming to combine advanced AI and computer vision technologies with sensible wheelchair design choices.
The image associated with this article is courtesy of Morgan State University. The autonomous wheelchair is designed to navigate congested areas like airports, hospitals, museums, college campuses, and military bases, providing a significant boost to mobility and independence for disabled individuals in these settings.
[1] Jeihani, M., Nyarko, K., et al. (2022). Autonomous Mobility System for Powered Wheelchairs. IEEE Access. [2] Jeihani, M., Nyarko, K., et al. (2021). Autonomous Navigation of Powered Wheelchairs in Complex Environments. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing. [3] Jeihani, M., Nyarko, K., et al. (2019). An Autonomous Mobility System for Powered Wheelchairs. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). [5] Jeihani, M., Nyarko, K., et al. (2017). Autonomous Mobility System for Powered Wheelchairs. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC).
The autonomous wheelchair, developed by interdisciplinary teams from Morgan State University, incorporates advanced AI and computer vision technologies to enable independent mobility for individuals with disabilities, particularly in congested public spaces like airports, museums, and military bases. By utilizing smartphone applications for control and autonomous navigation systems, this innovation combines security features, such as user authentication and QR code scanning, with the latest technology and artificial-intelligence to deliver a community-focused gadget that enhances accessibility.
