Powered wheelchair driving using a 3D haptic device

We address the problem of driving a powered wheelchair (PW) using the 3D haptic device PHANToM Omni. The driver uses this force feedback device to designate the desired speed and rate of turn for the PW. A sensor on the wheelchair is used to measure obstacle distance. We describe a strategy to convert distance into forces which are reflected to the operator's hand, via the haptic interface. This haptic information provides feedback to the driver in addition to the view he has on the environment. Experiments show that this haptic feedback significantly improves operator's performance in terms of reduction in navigation time, collisions and workload.