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A smart wheelchair ecosystem for autonomous navigation in urban environments

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Abstract

In this paper, we present a system level approach to smart wheelchair system (SWS) navigation in urban environments. The proposed SWS ecosystem has two primary components: a mapping service which generates large-scale landmark maps, and the SWS vehicle itself, which is a client of the mapping service. The SWS prototype integrates 3D LIDAR/imaging systems which provide robust perception in unstructured, outdoor environments. It also leverages these same sensors for map-based localization. In demonstrating the efficacy of the approach, the SWS navigated autonomously over a distance of more than 12 km in a representative urban environment without once losing localization, and without the use of GPS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA

    Dylan Schwesinger, Armon Shariati, Corey Montella & John Spletzer

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  1. Dylan Schwesinger
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  2. Armon Shariati
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  3. Corey Montella
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  4. John Spletzer
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Correspondence to Dylan Schwesinger.

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This is one of several papers published in Autonomous Robots comprising the “Special Issue on Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics”.

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Schwesinger, D., Shariati, A., Montella, C. et al. A smart wheelchair ecosystem for autonomous navigation in urban environments. Auton Robot 41, 519–538 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10514-016-9549-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10514-016-9549-1

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