Integration of a robot arm with a wheelchair

Abstract

The use of robotic systems opens new opportunities for people with severe disabilities (tetraplegia, spinal cord injuries, etc.) at work and in their private homes. Wheelchair mounted arms are of particular importance with respect to activities of daily living (ADL), as they are available with the wheelchair on different locations. Practical experiences and tests of the wheelchair mountable MANUS robot by users with disability are reported. This user analysis leads to further developments of the human-machine interface and system integration towards an improved usability. Parts of the work described are carried out within the ESPRIT project (7513) PMMA and the SPRINT project (SP53) IMMeDIATE.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>