Navigation aids
May 18th, 2011 by rbanks
‘Sighted’ wheelchair taken for first successful test drive
“An electric wheelchair has been fitted with a navigational laser scanner which provides virtual 3D maps of the surroundings, and sends feedback about any obstructions to the user via a haptic interface. Using the time of flight technique, a pioneering navigational laser scanner developed by professor Kalevi Hyyppä of the University’s EISLAB sweeps the area around the wheelchair to produce a virtual 3D map of the surroundings. This information is sent to a haptic interface, which allows the user to “see or feel” obstacles such as open doors, or pedestrians, and use the joystick to navigate past them without so much as a bump.” 
Gizmag
