Smart Wheelchairs for the Blind

Collaboration with Atlanta VA

Principal Investigator: Richard Simpson, PhD, ATP

Co-Investigators: Bruce Blasch, PhD; Ed LoPresti, PhD; Rory A. Cooper, PhD

2006-2008 

In the past 6.5 years, 9554 Vets received rehabilitation services for visual impairment.  Of these veterans, 408 (4.8%) were in wheelchairs and an additional 306 (4.3%) used scooters.  There are currently very few mobility options for veterans who have a mobility impairment and visual impairment, and this population will grow as the number of older veterans increases.  We propose to examine whether “smart wheelchair” technology can provide independent mobility to individuals with both a visual impairment and a mobility impairment that makes it difficult or impossible to ambulate independently using a white cane, guide dog, or other traditional mobility aid for the visually impaired. 

The goal of this project is to evaluate the Smart Wheelchair Component System (SWCS) for power wheelchairs and the Smart Power Assistance Module (SPAM) for manual wheelchairs in realistic indoor environments with target users performing realistic tasks.  We will combine group trials involving individuals who have a visual impairment (but do not have a mobility impairment) with several single-case studies involving individuals who have a visual and mobility impairment.  Our long-term objective is to provide independent mobility to veterans with both mobility and sensory impairments.   

The hypotheses that will be tested by the proposed research are:

• Smart wheelchair technology will increase safety (measured by collisions with obstacles and average obstacle clearance during navigation) for veterans with visual impairments on realistic navigation tasks performed in a laboratory environment when compared to performance on the same tasks performed with “standard” manual or power wheelchairs.
• Smart wheelchair technology will increase the amount of independent indoor travel (measured by total distance traveled and total time in motion) by veterans with visual and mobility impairments who reside in rehabilitation facilities, assisted living facilities, or nursing homes.