Voice-Commanded Robot Wheelchair Finds Its Own Way
By ScienceDaily,Publication Date: September 29, 2008
News feature describing a wheelchair that automatically responds to the user's verbal commands. In development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the wheelchair, which is programmed to "learn" about the location of a building, will take the user from one area to another without the need for manual controls by the occupant. To program the device, users will take the wheelchair on a guided tour of the building and identify important objects along the way, such as "my room" or "the kitchen." Trials with the wheelchair are underway at the Boston Home in Dorchester, Mass., a nursing home where all of the nearly 100 patients use wheelchairs. The current wheelchair prototype uses a WiFi system, requiring the installation of WiFi nodes throughout the building to detect signals. Researchers are also looking for ways to incorporate object detecting systems as well as mechanical arms to aid the occupants in picking up objects en route.
Published by: ScienceDaily LLC (Website:http://www.sciencedaily.com)
Link to text: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922185547.htm
