EEG controlled Electric Wheel chair

Project Title

EEG controlled Electric Wheel chair

Project Area of Specialization Electrical/Electronic EngineeringProject Summary

The project mainly aims to assist the people disabled below the neck with the help of designed Brain Computer Interface (BCI) using Electroencephalogram (EEG) device. We will use Neurosky device that is already available in market and portable. This device mainly use for E-gaming and can detect meditation, attention and eye blink signals. But we will use this device to control wheelchair. Since concentration and meditation signals are very weak in amplitude and are not easy to detect and produce so we have suggested to control the directions of wheelchair by only eye blink signals. Now different directions can only be controlled with eye blinks if there is some direction indicator. The direction indicator will be placed in front of user and will have four Light emitting diodes (LEDs) indicating four directions as shown in figure.

These LEDs will be continuously toggling such that each LED will be on for a specific time and after that the second LED will be on and the cycle continues. If user blinks at certain LED then that particular direction will get selected. We have suggested to control wheelchair activation (on/off) by using double eye blinks.

A simple manual wheelchair will be converted into an electrical wheel chair after selecting and mounting suitable motors and developing the control system. After wearing the EEG headset, user will be able to control the movement of wheelchair in any direction. We have planned to operate this wheelchair in dual mode, severely paralyzed (paralyzed below neck) people will be able to control it with EEG device while those people who haven’t severe disability (have mobility in hands) will be able to control it with joy stick.

Project Objectives

The objectives of the project are as follow:

1. To ease the paralyzed people who have restricted mobility.
2. To convert a manual wheelchair into an electrical wheelchair.
3. To develop control system using EEG signals.
4. To ensure safety measures for user by using obstacle avoidance sensors.
5. To operate the wheelchair in dual modes (either with joystick or EEG Headset).

Project Implementation Method

At start, we will procure a wheelchair and turn it into an electrical wheelchair. For this, we will select appropriate motors, which can produce enough torque to move 50-60 kg load. After that the motors will be safely mounted on wheel chair and the control of wheelchair with joystick will be developed and tested with a 50 kg load. Afterward, we will acquire EEG signal using EEG headset and will process and classify them to generate commands for wheelchair. We will use switch button to change the operational mode of wheel chair.

This block diagram shows the control system of wheelchair with EEG headset. The data acquired by EEG device will be processed by processor (detects intentional blink) and then the detected signal will be given to the Arduino 2. Arduino 1 will control direction indicator LEDs and also this information will be given to Arduino 2. So wheelchair’s directions will be controlled based on eye blink and direction indicator information with the help of motor driver module. Also the timer of Arduino 2 will be activated that will be checking for double blinks and if user blinks twice with in specific interval then the wheel chair will get on/off.

Benefits of the Project

Benefits:

• There are about 10 million people in Pakistan who are physically disable and among them some have severe disability due to diseases like Muscular dystrophy, Cerebral palsy etc. or due to any Spinal cord injury caused by any severe accident. To assist such people who are paralyzed below neck region, simple manual or electrical wheelchair cannot be used. So to provide mobility to such people, we will develop Brain computer interface (BCI) to control the wheelchair using brain (Electroencephalogram) signals.
• It is just an initiative, once the control will developed, it can be implemented on many other modules to control them by EEG signals.
• No prior work has been done in this field in Pakistan, so this product is the demand of market.
• The wheelchair will be able to operate in dual mode (control with brain signals or joy stick) so different users can use it.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The control system of wheelchair will include Neurosky headset, arduinos, processor, motors driver module, motors, switch button, rechargeable batteries and joy stick. After successful completion of project, user will be able to control wheelchair movement in 4 directions through eye blinks by wearing Neurosky headset. If there come any hurdle in the way of user, the wheelchair will automatically stop because of ultrasonic sensors that will be placed at the front and back side of wheelchair. The wheelchair will work continuously for 2 hours. User will also be able to control it with joy stick.

Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry HealthOther Industries Others Core Technology NeuroTechOther Technologies RoboticsSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for People, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	58240
wheel chair	Equipment	1	5000	5000
arduino mega	Equipment	2	1200	2400
motor driver module	Equipment	1	150	150
brush dc motors	Equipment	2	2000	4000
lead acid batteries	Equipment	2	2000	4000
joy stick	Equipment	1	130	130
ultrasonic sensor	Equipment	3	130	390
neurosky device	Equipment	1	35000	35000
jumper wires	Equipment	3	90	270
MS plates	Equipment	6	75	450
Fares	Miscellaneous	2	2400	4800
Local Fares	Miscellaneous	3	550	1650