Evaluation of a Smartphone Platform as a Wireless Interface between Tongue Drive System and ElectricPowered Wheelchairs

Abstract:
Tongue drive system (TDS) is a wireless and wearable assistive technology (AT) for individuals with high-level paralysis. It allows them to use their unrestricted tongue motion to control many devices in their environments. For driving an electric powered wheelchair (PWC), for instance, sip-and-puff is one of the most popular ATs. It is affordable and simple. However, it offers only a limited number of commands and requires diaphragm control which may not be possible in some patients. Researchers have come up with alternatives such as eye controller based on electrooculography to navigate wheelchairs. Other eye trackers based on pupil movement and infrared reflections have also been used to control a computer or a remote vehicle driving control. There are brain computer interfaces (BCI) based on electroencephalography that are under development to access computers and more recently have been applied to PWCs as well. Electromyography has also been utilized to access a computer or navigate a PWC. Tongueoperated ATs have also been reported for computer or PWC applications.

Existing System:
There are various ATs, such as sip-and-puff, eye trackers, head arrays, electromyography switches, and voice recognition systems already available. These devices allow people with highlevel spinal cord injuries (SCI) or other causes of upper limb paralysis gain some independence in their daily lives.

Proposed System:
Tongue drive system (TDS) is a new wireless assistive technology (AT) for the mobility impaired population. It provides users with the ability to drive powered wheelchairs (PWC) using their unconstrained tongue motion. Here, tongue drive system uses a sensor to detect the tongue movement. According to the tongue movement the wheelchair is controlled. Android based application stores wheel chair movement and also the user can able to control the wheel

chair from the mobile through touch screen. The communication between the wheel chair and the mobile will be through Bluetooth.

Block diagram: Vehicle Unit:

Power Supply

LCD

Tongue Position Sensor

PIC16F877A Micro Controller Motor Driver Wheel Robot Mechanism

Motor Driver

Mobile Unit:

Hardware Used:
PIC16F877A Microcontroller unit Tongue Position Sensor Bluetooth Module LCD Motor Driver Android Mobile Wheel Chair Mechanism

Software Used:
MPLAB Compiler Embedded C Android Application

Advantages:
These devices allow people with high-level spinal cord injuries to control wheel chair. It allows them to use their unrestricted tongue motion to control many devices in their environments.