Integrating Human Inputs with

Autonomous Behaviors on
an Intelligent Wheelchair Platform

Peshala G Jayasekara
 Outline
• Motivation
• Introduction
• Strategy
• Methodology
• Implementation
• Results
• Conclusion
– Evaluation and Opinion
 Motivation
• The authors describe the development and assessment
of a computer controlled wheelchair equipped with a
suite of sensors and a novel interface, called the
SMARTCHAIR.

• Main focus - a shared control framework which allows

the human operator to interact with the chair while it is
performing an autonomous task.
 Introduction (I)
• Assistive Technology
– Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)

– Current Status of HRI

• Supervisory control
• Less Trust

• We need HRI to be similar to two individuals working

together, where each one can predict the other’s
behavior
 Introduction (II)
• Research on computer-controlled chairs
– Wheel-chairs for disabled

• Approaches
– Total control via Joystick
– User’s desire via commands, and the chair moves autonomously
– Motion through following
• eg. Wall-follow

• Main Drawback
– Such HRI systems tend to grow anxiety, frustration and distrust
on users
 Strategy
• Sync together three diverse and at times
contradictory goals in motion planning

• Deliberative - maps, user commands

• Reactive - stimuli from environment
• User-initiated - unpredicted user behavior
 Methodology (I)
• Deliberative motion plan - Potential Field
Method
 Methodology (II)
• Deliberative Plan with Reactive Behaviors

• Deliberative Plan, Reactive Behaviors,

and Human Inputs
– Hierarchical, prioritized shared control
framework
Implementation
• HRI – vision based
– Cameras, Projector
Implementation
• HRI – vision based
– Cameras, Projector

• Obstacle Avoidance
– Laser scanner, IR proximity
sensors

• Dead reckoning
– Encoders, overhead markers
 Results (I)

Sample trajectory for autonomous mode

The trajectory is a result of the deliberative controller
(potential field controller) and local, reactive behaviors.

Sample trajectory (red) for manual mode

The blue line segments represent the activation of obstacle
avoidance and modification of the human input.
 Results (II)

A sample trajectory using a deliberative plan, combined with

user input (semiautonomous mode):
(c) the deliberative path taken,
(d) the user’s input, which is consistent with the deliberative plan
(e) when the obstacle avoidance behavior is activated

Quantitative and qualitative analysis

 Conclusion
• Assistive Technology
• A SmartChair with shared control strategy
to incorporate human inputs in motion
planning
• How the potential field method was
modified
• Affects on frustration and sense of control
in HRI
 Evaluation and Opinion
• Camera – projector interface is creative
• Effort to reduce frustration factor
• The team has spent time not only to
produce a “smart” chair but also to get the
opinion of the end users.

• No outdoor testing results

• Chair is not eye-catching
Thank you

Questions??
Equations