This HBCU’s Self-Driving Wheelchair Helps Users Navigate High-Traffic Areas
Morgan State University, a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution, has unveiled its autonomous wheelchair technology designed to help users navigate congested areas such as airports, hospitals, museums, college campuses, and military bases. Researchers and students spent the past five years developing the technology.
How does the wheelchair work?
The technology was demonstrated Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI Airport). Passengers can retrieve the autonomous wheelchair through an app by scanning the QR code from the designated areas. To access the wheelchair, passengers will have to register or log into the app.
The wheelchair will arrive at their location, and once authenticated, the person who summoned it can sit on it and proceed to their desired destination. The wheelchair will then take them to their destination.
Student operators guided the wheelchair via mobile commands, starting from Door 8 on the terminal’s upper level until it reached the ticket counter during the demonstration. After this, the students directed the wheelchair along a predefined route through security checkpoint C, where it went through security screening with transportation safety agents.
“It’s a powerful reminder that transportation isn’t just about planes, trains, and automobiles. And technology isn’t just about gadgets, apps, and code. And serving the public is not just about policy and programs… it’s about people,” said Lt. Governor Aruna Miller.
The research team behind the wheelchair
The wheelchair’s Autonomous Mobility System was developed by Dr. Mansoureh Jeihani, director of Morgan State University’s National Transportation Center and SMARTER Center, with design contributions from Dr. Kofi Nyarko, director of the Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems. The wheelchair technology was supported by over five years of research.
“Our team wanted to combine the most cutting-edge AI and computer vision technologies with sensible wheelchair design choices,” Dr. Jeihani said. “Giving people with disabilities this kind of mobility and independence makes public spaces much more inclusive.”
Featured image: ASphotofamily
