Smart Wheelchairs: Past, Present and Future

According to a study, 20% of powered mobility device users experience at least one major accident within a year; 11% of these users are hospitalized (Edwards and McCluskey, 2010). It is estimated that up to 91% of wheelchair users can benefit from "smart" wheelchair technology (Simpson, 2008). This session will summarize research and clinical evidence related to "smart" wheelchair technologies, including a recent user study that explored rear visibility of wheelchair users with and without blind spot sensors (Pellichero et al., 2021). In this study, users detected obstacles more accurately and faster during trials with blind spot sensors than without them. A virtual demo of this commercially-available blind spot sensor technology will be presented. A discussion will be conducted on higher levels of automation, drawing from literature on both "smart" wheelchairs and the automotive industry to explore usability, safety, and ethical considerations as smart wheelchair technologies continue to be developed.