ELECTRONIC WHEELCHAIR CONTROLLER DESIGNED FOR OPERATION BY HAND-

OPERATED JOYSTICK, ULTRASONIC NON-CONTACT HEAD CONTROL AND

UTTERANCE FROM A SMALL WORD-COMMAND VOCABULARY

E.D.CoFle

Dublin Institute of Terhnologv, Kevin Street, Dublin 8.

ABSTMCT

The majoriy of electric uheelchair users arc ahle to operate a joytick to control the chair, however
nianv niore quadriplegic users need soine other means of controlling the wheelchair. This paper
describes an electronic PUal drive unit designed for operation by standardjoystick, ultrasonic non-
contact headcontrol, and b.v coininandfroin a limited speech vocabula?.

1. INTRODUCTION

The primary objective at the outset of the research and development undertaken in this project was to
investigate use of non-invasive control mechanisms to assist seriously disabled wheelchair users. An
entire range of 'contact' switches exists such as pneumatic chin operated switches. tilt and touch
switches. Although undoubtedly useful in certain situations. they can present dlsadvantages to the
wheelchair user. Chin operated switches physically intrude upon the user wtule pneumatic switches can
cause sanitation problems. Two possible means of non-intrusive control are uluasonic head (or body)
control and voice control.

The idea of developing an ultrasonic transducer controller . although not based upon. took origin in a
study of work camed out by researchers at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Centre, California.
At the centre a 'smart' chair was developed utilising ultrasonic transducers. strategically placed about
the operator's head [Jaffe. 19831.

The approach taken in developing a speech recognition ?stem for use in the wheelchair controller is
based on analysis of the zero crossing pattern of a speech waveform and took origin in inspirational
work carried by Professor Annraoi de Paor at University College Dublin and at a research laboraton
set up by him at the National Medlcal Rehabilitation Centre. Dunlaoghaire. Co. Dublin. This work
resulted in development of a novel instrument which presents a robust physical record of some feature
of an utterance [de Paor. 19921 The instrument is called a Sinusoidal Instantaneous Frequenq
Extractor and has been given the acronym' SIFE'.The stored trace of an utterance is used to assist
voice retraining of stroke victims. A study of this device led to development of a speech recognition
xheelchair controller which responds to the command words GO, STOP. FORIK-IRD, REI ERSE,
LEFT and RIGHT.

In order to develop and utilise these proposed methods of control a decision was made to design a pulse
width modulation (PWM)control system which would be capable of operation by joystick. ultrasonic
headcontrol and voice control. It \vas necessan to design the PWM controller as it would not be
possible to buy in an existing system to interface with either the head unit or voice control unit unless
taken from design origin w t h a manufacturing company.

The purpose ofthe controller is to manoeuvre the chair. giving fonvard and rmerse directional
movement and full 360 degree rotational movement. Regulations do not permit speeds in excess of 6.4
K d h r . The chair will normally be expected io be capable of ascending a gradient of 1 in 4 on firm drl,
ground. The controller combines with two permanent magnet d.c. motors . one connecting to each of
the chair's rear wheels via a gearing mechanism . the power requirements being met by a d.c batten
power pack Available standards suggest that batteries should be capable of propelling the chair and
user along level d n ground for a distance of 20 Km before requiring recharge.

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2. PWM CONTROL OF D.C. MOTORS

Pulse width modulation is a switchng technique in which the supply voltage is full! applied (switched)
to the load and then removed. the "on" and "off times being precisely controlled.
An integrated circuit PWM controller. UC3637 . was found suitable for giving speed and directional
control of a d.c. motor in a H-bridge configuration. A H-bridge contains four switching power devices
(power mosfets were used in this application) and the motor load is placed across the central arms
The UC3637 [Unitrode. 19901 device contains a sawtooth oscillator. error amplifier and tivo
PWM comparators with +/- l00mA output stages. Protection circuit? includes under-voltage lockout.
pulse-by-pulse current limiting and a shutdown port.
Two such PWMlBridge circuits are required. one for control of each motor Optical isolation
dmices . HP 2200 (Hewlitt Packard). and mosfet power buffer device drivers . D469CJ. (Silicoms
Incorporated) are also included as necessary design features between each PWM output and mosfet
terminal (gate, source) connections [Coyle. 19931
Various designs in the make up of the bridges have been investigated. including use of both P-
channel and Nchannel mosfet devices (complementary bridges) and bridges utilising N-tqpe devices
only. Two variations on ths latter design have been made. one using four discrete mosfet devices per
bridge and a second using combined pack half-bridge modules [Coyle. 19911.
[Bobek.Clausnitzer.19953.

2.1 MICROPROCESSOR MASTER CONTROLLER

On commencement of the project microprocessor design was carried out using the Motorola
M68705R3 controller. More recently this work has been updated and replaced using the popular
Motorola microcontroller MC68HC 11. which has now been incorporated as a central element in the
overall circuit design. This is an advanced 8-bit MCU with sophisticatedon-chp peripheral
capabilities. On-chip memo? systems include 8K bytes of read-only memo? (ROM). 5 12 bytes of
electrically erasable programmable ROM (EPROM). and 256 bpes of random access memon. An
eight-channel analogue-todgital converter is included.
Control programmes were written in assembly language mnemonics and assembled and
simulated using ASMHCI 1 and PCBUGI 1 respectively.
The principal design programme processes information inputted on two lines assigned to a
potentiometricjoystick. Positional adjustment of the joystick results in two low level analogue voltage
signals on output channels of the potentiometer.Following upon an amplifving scaling circuit stage.
analogue signals in the range 0 to 5V ( level shfted for a zero position of 2 . W ) are inputted on two A
to D lines of the microprocessor.Software routines result in placement of these converted digital values
in buffer locations. Ths allows the facilie (by malung use of an interrupt service routine. ISR) of
ramping to the required set-point values. thereby allowing faster or slower response of wheelchair
movement to hand-operated positionaljoystick request.
Digital signals on the microcontroller output lines are latched and passed through D to A
converters (ZN559E) resulting in analogue voltages which are further scaled and fed to the controlling
pins of the UC3637 PWM converters This in turn effects speed and directional movement of the
w.heelchair motors and wheels

3. ULTRASONIC HEADCONTROL UNIT

The ultrasonic unit consists of three sets of transmitkcene transducers positioned on a mounting
frame about the user's head When energised the transmit transducers emt inaudible sound i*a\es
uhich propagate through the air until the\ stnke an object A portion of the transmitted Signal is then
returned and picked up b> an adjacent receixe transducer The time measured for the SigMl to tra\el to
the Object and back ma! be used to calculate the distance from the transducer to the object
A 68HC11 microprocessoris again used as the central processing unit of the ultrasonic unit
control 3 stem All three T-R boards share the same input port to the microprocessor To enable shared
control a data bus !\as designed uhich allous onl? one T-R board port access at an! one time The data
bus is controlled b\ the microprocessorand the T-R boards hale access to the bus 1 ia tnstate latches
Parallel lines from the microprocessor connect to two ZN559E D to A conierters uhich
conten the digitall\ outputted signals to analogue signals suitable for inputhng to the PWM chips
(similar to signals resulting from thejolstick circuit) for control of the hvo H-bridge circuits
 To control the wheelchair the headunit must be capable of proxiding movement in four
possible &rections.fomarrl reverse. Iefl and righi. These movement may be obtained by vaning the
relative speeds of the WO rear wheels. Forward motion results lfboth wheels tum at the same speed
and in the same dmction. Reverse movement is obtained if again both wheels turn at the same speed
but in the opposite direction to the forward movement. A left or right turning motion can be obtained
in several ways To turn the chair to the left. the right wheel is made to rotate in a forward " x i o n
whle the left wheel may either rotate in a forward direction but at a reduced speed ( resulting in a
slow turn ). remain at standstill for a slightly faster turn. or rotate in a reverse duection to achieve a
Sharp turn. A right turn may be obuined in a similar way . by interchanging the outlined wheel-
movements

3.1 HEAD-MOVEMENT AND DEADBAND AREA

The design strategy of decision making algorithms in response to headmovement is based upon
companson of measurement of transmission time values of the three T-R units with pre-set values. A
decision is made in two steps. first the transmission time for the sensor drectly behnd the user's head
is used to determine if a forward or rmerse direction was chosen. Secondly the left and right
transmission time values are compared and the resulting Merence is used to determine if a left or
right direction was chosen.
A neutral or deudbund area is centrally located to allow the user freedom of movement and
relaxation from enacting chair movement whle head location remains withm the zone. This deadband
area is created w t h n the software programmes and may be modlfred to suit a particular user's needs.
In the existing prototype model a deadband allowance of up to 60 mm about the head is achmable.
Head movement beyond the deadband zone will result in chrur motion. The software first
decides whch direction was selected. it then jumps to the corresponding subroutine to determine the
degree of movement and outputs the values necessary to acheve this movement.
An imponant feature in design of the system is that of using Look-Up tables into which values
may be insened to suit individual preferred wheelchair response characteristics.

1. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A SPEECH RECOGNITION SYSTEM

The approach taken is based the analysis of instantaneous frequency features of normal speech. By this
method a speech waveform is convened into a voltage derived from the instantaneous frequency.
computed on the basis of the reciprocal of the time between successive zero crossings. Additional to
previously mentioned work and publications of Professor Annraoi de Paor. seminal papers on the topic
of zero-crossing patterns in speech waveforms show that infinitely clipped speech (IFS)at the zero
crossings of the ambient . presene more than 90% intelligibility of the onginal unclipped waveform
Licklider. 19481 . Weiderjohn. 19871.
EkTensions to the original work undertaken in this project are ongoing. The fundamental
objective involved panial replication and redesign of the SIFE electronic circuit. By Uus circuit an
inputted sound signal from a microphone is passed through a comparator whose output witches
between two levels . producing an IFS waveform The IFS signal is then passed through a full-wave
precision rectifier where positive pulses are produced at eve? zero crossing. These pulses are used as
timing pulses for an integrator and a sample and hold circuit. The integrator produces a ramp output
which rises to a value whch is proporuonal to the interval between two successive pulses. Just pnor to
being reset. the value of the ramp is sampled and held until the ne%-sample is taken. The output IS a
piecewise constant approximate to a graph of instantaneous period versus time.
In order to analyse and ident$ signal waveforms outputting from the sample and hold circuit.
it was necessary to access a computer (using peripheral interface adaptor. PIA .cards) so that
information could be inputted. softxvare routines enacted. and commands issued (in response to
decision processes of the routines) to output lines.
Software statistical algorithms n-ritten in TurboC make comparison of frequenq variations by
calculating rriean squared cnerp, mean and standard deviurion , urea under fhe curve. and natural
geoaierric mean. A subroutine called 'dgitise' is used to take in 1000 samples of data (from an A to D
convener) In order to ei%ractthe useful information uithin this data file. a comparison is made of each
sample with its neighbouring sample (i.e. data (it. data (i + 1). Ifthe difference is zero. then a 'break'
occurs and data (i) is discarded. A calculation. for example. on mean squared energ! Rill result in
allocation of an index value and thus value is compared to other prestored values. An index value
located within a predefined range. actions the control of the chair. corresponding to the function
assigned to that index range. In this way the voice-controlled qstem is trained to a particular voice and
the index range assigned automatically to the controlling functions FORK-lRD, REI ERSE, LEFT.
RIGHT.STOP and GO.
A 12 bit analogue to digital converter (4096) combines with a buffer and scaling circuit
.
to output analogue signals following upon correct word identification. to the P W M motor control
circuits. The existing scheme is designed to output single level signals ( e.g. case GO port-a HFF.
port-b HFF: case STOP port-a H80. port-b H80: case REI ERSE port-a HOO.port-b HOO;case LEFT
port-a HFF. port-b HOO:case RIGHT port-a HOO. port-b HFF.
Careful intonation by a designated speaker yields a high confidence success rate in placement
ofcorrect e n e r a bands for the assigned words. Some crossover of bands will result for incorrect
intonation. however a sense of excitement prevails and further work is ongoing in attempts at
improving upon recognition accuracy.
A software simulator .'SIFESIM'. has been developed in Matlab using Simulink [Mathworks,
19921 to replicate the SIFE system. Research is also being carried out in analysis of higher order
crossings (HOC)of the command signals [Coyle.19941. and algorithms are being rewritten for
implementation using a DSP c h ~ p(TMS320C26).

Bohek S, Clausnitzer C, " Design of a hficroprocessor Controlled Power Mosfet Electric Nheelchair
Drive", Final vear undergraduate Project, Dublin Institute Of Technologv. Kevin Street and
Fachhochschule. Darinstadt. 1995.

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Thesis, IXversih, College Dublin, Jutv 1993.

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I995

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Cul~iwnia,1983.

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1995 The Institution of Electrical Engineers.

Printed and published by the IEE, Savoy Place. London WCZR OBL. UK.

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