health

Aisin Seiki develops electric wheelchair with obstacle detection function

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By Junichi Oshita, Nikkei Digital Health

Aisin Seiki Co Ltd has developed a transportation robot that can detect obstacles and automatically decelerate.

It was developed based on an electric wheelchair and can be controlled by the passenger with a joystick. While the maximum speed of a normal electric wheelchair is about 6km/h, that of the new robot is 10km/h.

Aisin Seiki had been developing the robot in cooperation with The Nippon Signal Co Ltd, Optex Co Ltd, Witz Co Ltd and Chiba Institute of Technology until the end of fiscal 2013 under the "Project for Practical Applications of Personal Care Robots" of Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Currently, Aisin Seiki is developing the robot by itself.

The automatic deceleration function based on obstacle sensing is realized by a three-dimensional (3D) scanner, 3D range image camera and software that calculates the risk of crashing into an object.

First, an obstacle is recognized by the 3D scanner, and the course of the robot is estimated based on the operation of the joystick. The risk is calculated based on the distance to the object located in the projected course. And the speed of the robot is reduced in accordance with the risk.

Aisin Seiki has already evaluated the collision safety, running stability and deceleration function of the robot and confirmed that it can safely move. Also, the company conducted a driving experiment on a public road in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

The company has not yet decided when to commercialize the robot partly because the maximum speed of an electric wheelchair on a public road is currently limited to 6km/h in Japan.

© Japan Today

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6km is a moderately fast walk. In non-congested areas 10km would be welcome, but I assume you'd turn off the collision detection feature in crowds or you'd never get anywhere.

Sounds promising, though.

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