Navigational support for robotic wheelchair platforms: an approach that combines vision and range sensors

An approach towards providing advanced navigational support to robotic wheelchair platforms is presented. In order to avoid any modifications to the environment, we propose an approach that employs computer vision techniques which facilitate space perception and navigation. Computer vision has not been introduced to date in rehabilitation robotics, since the former is not mature enough to meet the needs of this sensitive application. However, in the proposed approach, stable techniques are exploited that facilitate reliable, automatic navigation to any point in the visible environment. Preliminary results obtained from its implementation on a laboratory robotic platform indicate its usefulness and flexibility.