Autonomous Wheelchair Robot for Enhanced Airport Accessibility

The paper presents a theoretical feasibility study of an autonomous wheelchair robot (AWR) designed to guide and assist the elderly and people with limited mobility, at various airports, by addressing the difficulties they face while traversing complex and crowded airport terminals. The proposed system is designed to automatically navigate through all check points, namely, check-in counters, security checks and finally the boarding gate, by simply obtaining destination information (like flight number), either from a source like bar code printed on the ticket, or direct input. Once the data is obtained, the AWR, using the gmapping module which generates detailed airport maps, determines the most efficient routes to reach its destination and automatically navigates to the destination through the check points. The motion detection module identifies and avoids obstacles, allowing passengers to adjust their speed and heading. A comprehensive performance evaluation of the AWR system assesses navigation accuracy and efficiency, revealing significant enhancements in airport transportation accessibility, safety, and convenience for travellers with limited mobiity. Beyond airports, other potential applications of AWR include a variety of public spaces, such as shopping centres, hospitals, and museums, offering flexible solutions for autonomous mobility.