Desenvolvimento de uma interface homem-máquina aplicada a uma cadeira de rodas robótica por meio de PDA

Abstract

This Master Thesis presents an assistive system, composed by a humanmachine interface (IHM, in Portuguese) and a remote surveillance station, designed for neuromotor impaired people. The IHM can be controlled with a head pointer, eye blinks, movements of eyeball, iris position collected by video camera or through brain signals. This interface gives the user a new communication channel, besides controlling a robotic wheelchair. A PDA, onboard in this wheelchair, acts as a graphic interface, with options that allow the user to choose the wheelchair movement direction, express necessity, permit textual communication or go to specific points in an Intelligent Environment. In that case, an onboard controlling system allows autonomous navigation until a desired point, according to a position controller, including obstacle avoidance. The developed user interface has an acoustic output and inform every option selected by the user through a voice synthesizer, making communication with a household member easier. The surveillance station is compound by a second PDA, which allows remote surveillance of wheelchair information in an intelligent place, like position and velocity. It can also send commands direct to the motors, or even select destiny points and send them to the navigation system.