Wheelchair kinematics

Recapping
Rolling wheels
Instantaneous Centre of Curvature (ICC)

motion must be Nonholonomic

consistent constraint
 Position Estimation

(xn+1, yn+1)

(xn, yn)
Basic position estimation equations are:
x n 1  x n  D sin 
y n 1  y n  D cos 

where:
D = vehicle displacement along path;
Θ = vehicle orientation (heading).
 Ackerman Steering

• The inside front wheel is rotated slightly

sharper than the outside wheel (reduces tire
slippage).
• Ackerman steering provides a fairly accurate
dead-reckoning solution while supporting
traction and ground clearance.
• Generally the method of choice for outdoor
autonomous vehicles.
 Ackerman Steering (cont.1)
Θo Θi

Ackerman equation:
d
cot  i  cot  o 
l
where:
Θi = relative steering angle of inner wheel;
Θo = relative steering angle of outer wheel;
l = longitudinal wheel separation;
d = lateral wheel separation.
 Ackerman Steering (cont.2)
Θo ΘSA Θi

ΘSA = vehicle steering angle.

d
cot  SA   cot  i
2l

d
cot  SA  cot  i 
2l
 Synchro Drive
• Three or more wheels are mechanically coupled. All wheels have one and
the same orientation and rotate in the same direction at the same speed.
• Improved dead reckoning.
• Synchro drives use belt, chain or gear drives.
• Problems in steering accuracy with wear/tear
 Synchro Drive

Dead reckoning for synchro-drive:

The MECANUM wheel (concept)
 Tricycle
• If a steerable drive wheel and encoder is used,
then we can use the Ackerman steering model.
• Otherwise use we the differential odometry mode
 Tricycle Problems

• When going uphill the center of gravity of the

wheelchair tends to move away from driven
wheel. Causing loss of traction.
• As Ackerman-steered design causes surface
damage.
 Omni-Directional Drives
• Minimum is a 3 wheel configuration.
• Each individual motor are driven
independently, using velocity control.
Omni-Directional Drives, continue
Let’s note the velocity of the wheelchair platform
in x and y direction with Vx and Vy respectively.
 Beacon-based Localization
• Trilateration
– Determine wheelchair position from distance measurements
to 3 or more known beacons.
• Triangulation
– Determine wheelchair position for angular measurements to
3 or more known beacons.
 Triangulation
•Solution to constraint equations relating the pose of an observer
to the positions of a set of landmarks.
•Usually, the problem is considered in the 2D case.
 Triangulation

•Passive
•Active

Active triangulation (AT):

-A controlled light source (such as a laser) is positioned at point P1.
-A imaging detector is placed at P2.
-The distance A is preliminary known.
-The image detector measures the angle position of the reflected-light beam.

•AT requires one camera or one position sensitive detector;

•AT does not depend on the ambient lighting of the object.
 Active triangulation

Photo detector
– one- or two-dimensional array detector such as a
CCD camera or photosensitive line.

Calibration – signals are measured on two

preliminary known distances between the sensors
and the object.
Active rangefinder chip – an example

TRC Beacon navigation System

Light guidance system, Dohi Lab, Japan