Real-Time Wheelchair Controller Based on POF-Based Pressure Sensors

The design of electrical wheelchair controllers remains a challenge for the scientific community. In recent years, Polymer Optical Fiber (POF)-based sensors have been used for biomedical applications, however, the application of these types of sensors for the control of assistive devices has been little explored. For this reason, this work proposes the design and validation of a fuzzy logic controller that uses information from an array of POF-based sensors located in a pillow, which is used for wheelchair control in four directions (right, left, forward and stop) by using neck movements. The results allow concluding that the system is fast, accurate, and reliable. This work presents a contribution related to the design of assistive devices based on optical fiber sensors and focuses on people with upper- and lower-limb mobility restrictions. Future studies will address the evaluation of the system for people with disabilities.