MAid: mobility assistance for elderly and disabled people

The authors describe the mechatronic design and the control system of a so-called intelligent wheelchair. The task of this system is to transport people with severely impaired motion skills. The system provides functions ranging from fully autonomous navigation in an unknown crowded environment such as a railway station to partially autonomous local maneuvers such as passing narrow door ways, operating in narrow, cluttered space, or entering a cabin in a restroom.