Intelli-Wheelchair

Intelligent electric wheelchair powered solely by mental and voice commands

Project scope

Within the framework of the “Intelli-Wheelchair” project, a wheelchair will be designed and constructed, the movement of which will be controlled exclusively through mental and voice commands by a person with a severe disability, without requiring any physical feedback of commands for its operation. The movement through mental commands will be carried out through the recording of the electrical activity of the brain’s neurons (Electroencephalography – EEG). The representation and control of the system will be done through a Brain-Computer Interface application.

More specifically, the signals will be recorded and processed in real time by the local control unit, which will be equipped with the wheelchair. Then, if a mental command is identified from a set of predefined commands (e.g. move forward, turn left or right, stop movement, etc.), the corresponding signal will be sent to the wheelchair's electric motor, through the appropriate subsystem of the application, and the command will be carried out. To identify the mental commands, a new method of analyzing EEG signals will be developed, taking into account the significant limitations that arise from its application to the wheelchair's control unit and not to a larger computing system. The proposed method should present high reliability and the system should be accompanied by a simple learning process by the users, in order to ensure easy and safe movement of the wheelchair.

The success of the effort will be sealed with the production of a low-cost product, so that it is easier for people with severe motor impairments to acquire it and to achieve financial profits from its commercial exploitation.

Collaborating bodies

University of Western Macedonia-ELKE

The University of Western Macedonia is a regional institution based in Kozani. It implements various postgraduate programs both independently and in collaboration with other institutions. It also collaborates at national and international level with a number of entities from both the private and public sectors for the implementation of research and development programs. The University of Western Macedonia has the necessary human resources and the required logistical infrastructure to support the educational process and research activity.

ΕΛΕΠΑΠ

ELEPAP is the first charitable, non-profit association in Greece which has been providing rehabilitation services to children since 1937. Today it has 6 branches throughout the country.

CERTH-ITI

The National Centre for Research and Technology (CERTH), one of the largest research centres in Greece, was founded in 2000. It is a non-profit legal entity under private law, supervised by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (G.S.R.T.) of the Greek Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs. CERTH has significant scientific and technological achievements in many fields such as: Energy, Environment, Industry, Engineering, Information Technology & Communications, Transport & Sustainable Mobility, Health, Agro-Biotechnology, Smart Agriculture, Security, as well as in several interdisciplinary areas. Το Ινστιτούτο Τεχνολογιών Πληροφορικής και Επικοινωνιών (ΙΠΤΗΛ) ιδρύθηκε το 1998 ως μη κερδοσκοπικός οργανισμός υπό την αιγίδα της Γ.Γ.Ε.Τ. στην Ελλάδα, με έδρα την Θεσσαλονίκη, Ελλάδα. Από το Μάρτιο του 2000 είναι ιδρυτικό μέλος του ΕΚΕΤΑ Το ΕΚΕΤΑ/ ΙΠΤΗΛ είναι ένα από τα κορυφαία ιδρύματα στην Ελλάδα στους τομείς της Πληροφορικής, Τηλεματικής και Τηλεπικοινωνιών, με μακρά εμπειρία σε πολλά ευρωπαϊκά και εθνικά ερευνητικά έργα. Δραστηριοποιείται σε ένα μεγάλο αριθμό ερευνητικών τομέων όπως η Ασφάλεια και Παρακολούθηση, Επεξεργασία Σήματος και Εικόνας, Όραση Υπολογιστών, Αναγνώριση Προτύπων και Μάθηση Μηχανής, Αλληλεπίδραση Ανθρώπου-Μηχανής, Εικονική και Επαυξημένη Πραγματικότητα, Πολυμέσα, Βάσεις Δεδομένων και Πληροφοριακά Συστήματα, Ενεργειακή Αποδοτικότητα και εξοικονόμηση Ενέργειας Κτιρίων και Ανάλυση Κοινωνικών Δικτύων.