Design and Implementation of a Smart IoT-Based Wheelchair System: A Novel Approach to Assistive Technology for Mobility and Health Monitoring

Abstract

Technology is being developed in different fields to reduce the human effort where systems are getting smart and autonomous. Different autonomous systems can perform tasks more accurately and efficiently than humans, reducing human interaction with the machine. Patients and disabled persons typically use wheelchairs, which are common but important objects. In a traditional wheelchair, human effort is required to operate. In some cases, patients are unable to manually operate the wheelchair by moving the wheel, necessitating additional support or assistance to push from the backside. Technologies are being used to make wheelchairs smart and autonomous now, where any external assistance is not required anymore. In this work, a framework for IoT-based smart  heelchairs has been proposed, where multifunctional designs with advanced operating features have been developed. The wheelchair  an be controlled with hand gestures, where the user can operate the chair by moving hand position. Smart features like obstacle detection, GPS, fall detection, home appliance control, IoT-integrated features like IoMT, and a remote alert system have been installed. The device can detect any obstacle and can move automatically to avoid it. GPS location helps to figure out the current location of the
wheelchair. The user can control or operate the home appliance, like turning the light or fan on/ off remotely from the wheelchair. IoMT applications help to take the user’s health data and send it to healthcare for a checkup. In case of any urgency, the wheelchair can communicate with the emergency contact to acknowledge the status of the user. The proposed device can serve as an effective solution, providing a seamless experience with smart operating features and multiple advanced functionalities.