Development of Omni-directional Stereo Vision-based Intelligent Electric Wheelchair

This paper describes the development of a support technology to enhance the independent mobility of disabled persons, featuring an electric wheelchair fitted with an innovative camera system "stereo omnidirectional system (SOS)". The SOS can capture omnidirectional color images and range information in real time, enabling automatic detection and avoidance of dangers in the wheelchair's traveling environment, and has a remote assistance function. This study deals principally with basic platform design, focusing on the basic technology required for application of the SOS to electric wheelchairs, such as high-speed, high-definition integrated processing of omni-directional images, and automatic correction of camera pose