The first steps in the design and construction of an autonomous vehicle for the physically and sensory disabled are described. The vehicle is basically a self-navigating wheelchair, which is designed to transport a person to a desired room within an office building given only the destination room number. The wheelchair has been equipped with an on-board microcomputer, a digital camera, and a scanning ultrasonic rangefinder. The goal of the project is to develop a vehicle that can operate without human intervention within a crowded environment with little or no impact on the building or its inhabitants. An overview of the project objectives and a detailed description of the components that are currently working are presented.
['Richard L. Madarasz', 'Loren C. Heiny', 'Robert F. Cromp', 'Neal M. Mazur']
The design of an autonomous vehicle for the disabled