RESEARCH ARTICLE

Adv. Sci. Lett. 20, 364368, 2014

Copyright 2014 American Scientific Publishers

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Printed in the United States of America

Advanced Science Letters

Vol. 20, 364368, 2014

Interface multimedia MEE for electric wheelchair

Edgar Cano1, Gabriel Ruiz1, Algredo Badillo2
1Computer

Science Department, University of the ISTMO Region, Ciudad Ixtepec, Mexico

Engineering Computer Department, University of the ISTMO Region, Santo Domingo Tehuantepec, Mexico

The purpose of this research is to provide a new kind of multimedia interface (simple call MEE) to extend the types of users
with different capabilities an electric wheelchair, allowing an improvement in the quality of life and better rehabilitation. In
this research report proposes developing a multimedia interface to control an autonomously wheelchair using a touch screen
and a connected wirelessly through wheelchair navigation module. The MEE interface consist of an embedded system to the
development of multimedia applications based on the PIC32 microcontroller. The MEE interface development is performed
using the SPIES methodology for the development of embedded systems and to ensure the quality of system performance.
Keywords: Embedded systems, Multimedia applications, Wireless systems, Bluetooth, Touch Screen.

1. INTRODUCTION
The electric wheelchairs are used by a select group of
people with some disabilities, focusing on the ability to
handle a joystick. It is important to offer new multimedia
interfaces, which aim to expand the members of this
specific user group, enabling them to improve their
quality of life.
The MEE interface focuses on people with weak
hands that cannot manipulate the joystick (such as elderly
people or young children), where selecting a point on a
touch screen becomes a more useful way to navigate over
a wheelchair autonomously and take them to the target
point. In addition with this design, will can adding new
kind of interfaces for other people with special
capabilities.
Today, touch screens on mobile devices are useful in
facilitating the interaction between a user and a digital
electronic device. Thus, applications related to touch
screens covering various fields of study, from simple
interfaces for the control / monitoring of electrical signals
to complex media players [1], [2].
Moreover, the continuous evolution in terms of
wireless capabilities of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies,
as well as its growing demand in the industry, have
magnified wireless connectivity making this a relevant
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feature on the portable devices, and improving the user

experience in manipulating data [3].
In this work we propose the development of
multimedia MEE interface for managing and
manipulation of an autonomously wheelchair.
The paper is organized as follows. In section 2, a brief
review of background about the proposed project is given.
The section 3 presents the proposed interface
specifications and shows the development of MEE
interface through SPIES methodology. The results of the
development of the proposed system in this paper are
presented in section 4. Finally, our work of this paper is
summarized in the section 5.
2. BACKGROUND
As background to the development of MEE interface,
are the work in [4], which explains the methodology for
the development of embedded systems and the
importance of wireless networks in portable applications.
In [5], we show the application of the SPIES
methodology proposed in an embedded system destined
for wireless communications. Finally in [6], we propose a
full degree course for reproduction, design and study of
such embedded systems.

Adv. Sci. Lett. Vol. 20, No. 2, 2014

1936-6612/2014/20/364/008
doi: 10.1166/asl.2014.5346

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Adv. Sci. Lett. 20, 364368, 2014

3. INTERFACE DEVELOPMENT
MEE system implementation was done with the help
of the methodology for the development of embedded
systems SPIES [3], which consists of a modeling
language for specifying relationships between
components. SPIES uses the Unified Modeling Language
(UML, Unified Modeling Language) to represent the
phases that make up the methodology with iterative topdown approach which ensures that the system be tested in
each phase and not to the end, so that the system is
continuously improved over time as the development of
the breakthrough (see figure 1).
SPIES is extracted from process areas and specific
practices in CMMI-DEV v1.2 level 2 [7], which are
simplified for embedded software demands.

moving

The wheelchair is following the path

selected to reach target point.

waiting

The wheelchair is no movement, but

keeps the path to the target point

The events are triggered by the user, and these events

indicate to the MEE interface the follow
Cancel: Occurs while the wheelchair is in motion,
then the interface sends the stop signal to the MN of the
wheelchair interface and clears the previously selected
path selected by the user and the wheelchair adopts the
operating status sleep.
Pause/play: Occurs while the wheelchair is in
motion, keeps the selected path and switches to standby).
Turn left: Occurs when the user decides to turn the
wheelchair left.
Turn right: Occurs when the user decides to turn the
wheel chair to his right.
Figure 2 shows the MEE interface interaction with
the user via the control subsystem and tactile GUI
GUI_Touch. The interaction between the MEE interface
and MN wheelchair module through the subsystem
Bluetooth link control (called MBT).
System Boundary Box
MEE

Fig.1. SPIES methodology.

Next we present the development of the interface
through the SPIES methodology.
3.1. Requirements specification.
The interface consists of a TFT touchscreen of 320 x
240 pixels, which captures user input through a plastic
pen. User inputs are transformed to coordinates (x, y) and
sent to the wheelchairs navigation module (called MN).
While, the MEEs graphical user interface (GUI)
consists of show several options that allow the user to set
in motion the wheelchair. The user can choose a target
point of six possible, and the wheelchair will start to
move over a controlled environment.
MEE interface contains a Bluetooth module to
provide wireless communication links. In this way, via a
Bluetooth link the MEE interface sends the coordinates
selected by the user to the wheelchair. Then, the MEE
interface receives information about the current state of
the wheelchair. Via a Bluetooth link, the MEE interface
sends the coordinates selected by the user to wheelchair.
The states in which the chair can be found are:
sleeping, moving and waiting. These states define when
the wheelchair will be performing some action or waiting
for some action, for more details see Table I.
Table.1. States of wheelchair.
States
Description
sleep

include
GUI_Touch

include
MBT

Usuario

Silla Autnoma

Fig.2. Interface use case diagram.

3.2. Product design.
The purpose of the design phase is to examine the
interaction between the user and the interface MEE from
the requirements established by creating functional
designs. The structure interface has five subsystems that
serve to control each functional component, these are:
Control_Grafico. Manages the MEE system graphics
engine (intended future applications).
Control_Audio. Manages audio engine MEE system
(intended for future applications).
Control_Touch. Manages the touch screen
functionality as well as send messages to the user.
Control_BT. Set the Bluetooth module and manages
its activities.
Control_Principal. Manages all activities MEE
interface.
Figure 3 represents the MEE interface structure
diagram.

The wheelchair is no moving.

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RESEARCH ARTICLE
1

Adv. Sci. Lett. 20, 364368, 2014

U suario

S ubsy stem

Control_Principal

GUI_Touch
GUI_CP

CP_MN

CP_GUI

CP_CG

CP_CA

flow

CP_CT

S ubsy stem

Control_Grafico

CA_CP
1

Control_Audio

Sondeo_BT

CB_CP

flow
S ubsy stem

Send_BT

flow

CG_CP
1

Enviar_BT

CP_CB

Mensaje_Touch

MN

MN_CP
flow

flow
Mensaje_GUI

S illa A utonma

flow
1

CT_CP

S ubsy stem

S ubsy stem

Control_BT

Control_Touch

Fig.3. MEE structure diagram.

3.3. Product development.

The purpose of this phase is to choose both hardware
and software tools which implement the system. For the
development of the MEE interface, Mikromedia for
PIC32 card was selected (see figure 4), since it has a wide
variety of peripherals.
Mikromedia card is a compact design with different
embedded peripherals for multimedia application
development. The central part of the card is a 32-bit MCU
PIC32MX460F512L. The main features Mikromedia card
specified in [8].
The choice of programming software for interface
MEE are MikroC PRO PIC32 compiler [9] and software
for programming GUIs Visual TFT [10], both of the firm
Mikroelektronika, see figure 5.
The compiler PIC32 mikroC PRO is a development
environment (IDE) for programming specific 32-bit
microcontrollers from Microchip firm.
The MikroC IDE allows the easy development of
systems with access and management of PIC32 MCU
features such as input/output ports, specific function
registers (SFR), serial communication modules, and so on.
While the IDE Visual TFT interface programming
deals with the design and application programming
associated GUI touch screen.

Fig.4. Mikromedia for PIC32.

Fig.5. Visual TFT and mikroC compilers.

3.4. Product development.

In this phase individual tested component (software
and hardware) completely before assembling MEE
interface.
Tests include establishing a link between the
Bluetooth module with a Bluetooth device. Tests were
also conducted related to the graphical interfaces and

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Adv. Sci. Lett. 20, 364368, 2014

event response from the touch screen system.
There are a variety of modules to adhere to the card
and to extend the functionality Mikromedia thereof. In
this way, you can add the MEE system portability feature
because, mikromedia card can be powered by a
rechargeable lithium battery. Also, attaching an expansion
module (known as mikroBus shield) to the card joins the
Bluetooth wireless module (see Figure 6).

Fig.6. Rechargeable battery and mikroBus shield.

Finally, in the figure 7 shows the integrated system
for later validation.

3.5. System validation.

In this phase range tested Bluetooth module, as well
as check shipping and moving coordinate touch screen
calibration.
To ensure the steps you need to follow the user and
validate the system in terms of the sequences set design
and functionality of the different components, were made
different state machine diagrams that model the dynamics
of the system functionality MEE. Figure 8 shows the state
machine diagram for the system main MEE.
Finally, we carried out the operation manual MEE
system and establish points of system maintenance and
improvement. This documentation allows for continued
excellence of the system and proper management of the
interface.
4. RESULTS
The final prototype shown in figure 9, which yielded the
interface proposal.

Fig.9. MEE interface prototype.

Fig.7. Integrated interface.
Punto_1

Envia_BT

Converter_Point();

/_init();

Send_BT();

Mensaje_Touch();
Punto_2

/Espera_Touch();

Ventana_Calibracion

Mensaje_Touch();

Converter_Point();

Init_system();
Touch_Init();
Mensaje_Touch();

Mensaje_Touch();

Calibration_CornerUp
Calibration_CornerDown/

Punto_3

/load();

/Select_One();

Converter_Point();
Mensaje_Touch();

Ventana_Principal
Punto_4

Select_One();
Mensaje_Touch();
Mensaje_Touch();

Escucha_BT
Receive_BT();
Mensaje_Touch();

Converter_Point();
Mensaje_Touch();
Punto_5
Converter_Point();
Mensaje_Touch();
Punto_6

Estado_Silla
Mensaje_Touch();

Converter_Point();
Mensaje_Touch();

Fig.8. MEE state machine diagram.

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RESEARCH ARTICLE
The first screen displayed to the user is the touch
calibration screen for correct acquisition of the items
inserted by the user.
In an initial state, the wheelchair moves in a
controlled environment, so the movement thereof is made
to reach static points within the environment. This
suggests managing the GUI static points represented by
buttons (see figure 10). Thus, the main window for
sending coordinates objective consists of 6 possible
points.
The user chooses a target point which is scaled and
converted to the actual dimensions of the place where it
moves the wheelchair and sent via Bluetooth module.

Fig.10. Target points window.

The focus of the project presented in the current
research paper is the result of the work described in [12],
which sets the rules and steps through the creation of a
specific methodology in an undergraduate course in the
design and construction of embedded systems.
5. CONCLUSIONS
With the use of the selected tools, it was possible to
successfully implement a multimedia application using a
touch screen to allow to obtain coordinate points entered
by the user. Thus was achieved simple and easy interface
for the user.
The use of a specific card for multimedia application
development, plus portability features, thanks to the

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Adv. Sci. Lett. 20, 364368, 2014

rechargeable battery and Bluetooth wireless module
enables the user to have more freedom and control in the
management of the MEE interface without having to
worry about remove or disconnect any part of it,
improving the user experience.
As future work we propose the extension of MEE
interface functionality, applications adding music, photos
and video, to enhance human-computer interaction.

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