ROBOTIC VEHICLE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MULTI-HANDICAPPED BLIND

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MULTI-HANDICAPPED BLIND HAVE A PRATICULAR DISADVANTAGE. ALTHOUGH MENTALLY CAPABLE THEY ARE LIKELY TO SUFFER EDUCATIONALLY AND SOCIALLY. OUR PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND AND REQUIRE THE USE OF A WHEEL CHAIR FOR MOBILITY. BASED ONTHE NEEDS OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WE HOPE TO APPLY OUR NEW TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE THEIR ACCESS TO EDUCATION AS WELL AS THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE BY PROVIDING AN AFFORDABLE ROBOTIC VEHICLE CAPABLE OF MANEUVERING THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR ENVIRONMENT ON COMMAND. THE KEY TO OUR SYSTEM IS AN INEXPENSIVE, ACCURATE AND FAST LOCAL NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM. THIS PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY IS REMARKABLY SIMPLE, LOW COST AND USER FRIENDLY.OUR SYSTEM PROVIDES A PRECISE LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE POSITION AS WELL AS DIRECTIONAL HEADING FOR MOBILE ROBOTICS.A LOW COST PERSONAL COMPUTER IS USED FOR CONTROL AND MAY BE LOCATED ON THE VEHICLE OR REMOTELY. WE WOULD LIKE TO FIRST APPLY OUR NEW TECHNOLOGY TO THOSE WHO WOULD BENEFIT MOST. BASED ON OUR PRESENTLY OPERATING MOBILE ROBOT, "MAC 1", THE FOLLOWING GOALS, ALTHOUGH DRAMATIC, ARE ACHIEVABLE. PHASE I, WILL INITIATE WORK ON A COMPUTER NAVIGATED ELECTRICWHEELCHAIR CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING A BLIND USER AROUND A TYPICAL HOUSEHOLD OR INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT. THIS SYSTEMWOULD USE SIMPLE COMMANDS LIKE "CAFETERIA", "BATHROOM" OR "ELEVATOR". THIS VEHICLE WOULD BE FULLY INTERACTIVE WITH THE PASSENGER, ALLOWING THE PASSENGER TO PROGRAM COMMONLY USED PAHTS THROUGHOUT THEIR ENVIRONMENT. THIS VEHICLE USES A PRECISION COMPUTER BASED NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING INTELLIGENT MOBILITY INCLUDING OBSTACLE DETECTION AND AVOIDANCE. A PATH NEED BE TRAVELLED ONLY ONCEAND THE USER IS ABLE TO RECALL THAT PATH FROM COMPUTER MEMORY. THE VEHICLE IS THEN ABLE TO EASILY MANEUVER THROUGHTHAT PATH UPON COMMAND. PATHS MAY BE UNLIMITED IN COMPLEXITY AND LENGTH. FAVORABLE USE AND REVIEW OF THE PROTOTYPE IS A FINAL MILESTONE OF PHASE I.