An Efficient Electronic Wheelchair Seat Balancing Maintain Methodology Applying Smart Sensors

Abstract

In this paper we propose a new solution which utilizing the Gyro Sensor and Tilt Sensor in real-time controlling the balance of wheelchair seat. The existing wheelchair systems have the risk of falling when users go uphill because of the uneven weight allocation. But when applying our new method, the wheelchair seat can automatically adjust to maintain the balance therefore provides a safer and more stable ride. In order to adjust the seat correctly, we calculate the seat angle using Tilt Sensor. However, due to the law of inertia when wheelchair is moving there is deviation in output value of Tilt Sensor. To solve this problem, a Gyro sensor is used for measuring the acceleration and get the correct value of tilting angle. Through various experimentations we can prove that by taking advantage of Gyro sensor and Tilt sensor combination, the system is able to determine the correct seat angle in both cases when the wheelchair moving or not. We also tackle the power consumption issue in wheelchair, by using ZigBee sensor module to retrieve terrain information in advance and controlling the balance by two motors thus the overall power consumption for seat balancing is reduced significantly.