Assistive Handlebar Based on Load Cells as Attendant Steering Device

Abstract

The increase in the life expectancy has pushed the interest in developing assistive technologies to extend the autonomy of the elderly. Mobility is a major concern for this population, and aids should be designed to be friendly and intuitive. This paper proposes a device that replaces the attendant joystick of a wheelchair by an assistive steering device based on load cells. The resulting device is tested by twelve volunteers in a tracking task that consists in following a path. The deviation from the target trajectory is registered and the results are presented and analyzed.