Electronics, Vol. 14, Pages 2307: Mechatronic Anticollision System for Electric Wheelchairs Based on a Time-of-Flight Sensor

Electronics doi: 10.3390/electronics14112307

Authors:
Wiesław Szaj
Michał Wanic
Wiktoria Wojnarowska
Sławomir Miechowicz

Electric wheelchairs significantly enhance mobility for individuals with disabilities, but navigating confined or crowded spaces remains a challenge. This paper presents a mechatronic anticollision system based on Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors designed to improve wheelchair navigation in such environments. The system performs eight-plane 3D environmental scans in 214–358 ms, with a vertical field of view of 12.4° and a detection range of up to 4 m—sufficient for effective obstacle avoidance. Unlike existing solutions like the YDLIDAR T-mini Plus, which has a narrow vertical field of view and a longer detection range that may be excessive for indoor spaces, or the xLIDAR, which struggles with shorter detection ranges, our system balances an optimal detection range and vertical scanning area, making it especially suitable for wheelchair users. Preliminary tests confirm that our system achieves high accuracy, with a standard deviation as low as 0.003 m and a maximum deviation below 0.05 m at a 3-meter range on high-reflectivity surfaces (e.g., white and light brown). Our solution offers low power consumption (140 mA) and USB communication, making it an energy-efficient and easy-to-integrate solution for electric wheelchairs. Future work will focus on enhancing angular precision and robustness for dynamic, real-world environments.

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Wiesław Szaj www.mdpi.com