Design and Implementation of a Position, Speed and Orientation Fuzzy Controller Using a Motion Capture System to Operate a Wheelchair Prototype

• Main Authors: Mauro Callejas-Cuervo, Aura Ximena González-Cely, Teodiano Bastos-Filho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: inertial measurement unit; fuzzy control; motion capture; position; velocity; orientation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/13/4344

The design and implementation of an electronic system that involves head movements to operate a prototype that can simulate future movements of a wheelchair was developed here. The controller design collects head-movements data through a MEMS sensor-based motion capture system. The research was divided into four stages: First, the instrumentation of the system using hardware and software; second, the mathematical modeling using the theory of dynamic systems; third, the automatic control of position, speed, and orientation with constant and variable speed; finally, system verification using both an electronic controller test protocol and user experience. The system involved a graphical interface for the user to interact with it by executing all the controllers in real time. Through the System Usability Scale (SUS), a score of 78 out of 100 points was obtained from the qualification of 10 users who validated the system, giving a connotation of “very good”. Users accepted the system with the recommendation to improve safety by using laser sensors instead of ultrasonic range modules to enhance obstacle detection.