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Rules and Regulations for a (Semi-)Autonomous Wheelchair

Nijweide, E.W.T. (2024) Rules and Regulations for a (Semi-)Autonomous Wheelchair.

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Abstract:To develop a safe to use wheelchair controlled with an eye tracker for Andrei it is important that the rules and regulations for in- and outdoor use are known. The wheelchair should comply to the Medical Device Regulation at any given time, both in- and outdoors. The rules set by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management apply when the wheelchair is used outdoors. Determining the liability when the wheelchair causes an accident is complicated as it is difficult to determine who was in control, the user or the wheelchair system. When the wheelchair is in control the manufacturer is held responsible and otherwise the user is the one liable. With a risk analysis the risks of a system can be made known, which helps with reducing the risks. After the risk analysis for the wheelchair controlled with an eye tracker was made it became apparent that an eye tracker has some downsides which could have a negative impact on the safety of the user and their environment. To reduce the risk an extra input could be added to the wheelchair design. An option could be to add a switch which can function as an emergency stop. It is important to determine if Andrei is able to perform the action needed to activate the emergency stop. Thus, an experiment was done to test the placement of a buddy button and a micro light switch on the wheelchair that Andrei currently uses. Andrei was able to press a switch on the right side of his headrest. This switch could be added to the wheelchair with eye tracker as an emergency stop to reduce the risk.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:TNW: Science and Technology
Programme:Biomedical Technology BSc (56226)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/105079
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