Optimized joystick controller

The purpose of the study was to develop an optimized joystick control interface for electric powered wheelchairs and thus provide safe and effective control of electric powered wheelchairs to people with severe physical disabilities. The interface enables clinicians to tune joystick parameters for each individual subject through selecting templates, dead zones, and bias axes. In terms of hand tremor usually associated with people with traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis, fuzzy logic rules were applied to suppress erratic hand movements and extract the intended motion from the joystick. Simulation results were presented to show the graphical tuning interface as well as the performance of the fuzzy logic controller.