SWADAPT2: benefits of a collision avoidance assistance for powered wheelchair users in driving difficulty

In France, tens of thousands of people use a wheelchair. Driving powered wheelchairs (PWCs) present risks for users and their families. The risk of collision in PWC driver increases with severity of disability and may reduce their independence to drive. The European ADAPT project has developed a rob...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Disability and rehabilitation: Assistive technology 2024-07, Vol.19 (5), p.1907-1915
Main Authors: Fraudet, Bastien, Leblong, Emilie, Piette, Patrice, Nicolas, Benoît, Devigne, Louise, Babel, Marie, Pasteau, François, Routhier, François, Gallien, Philippe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidents, Traffic
Adult
Aged
Automobile Driving
Bioengineering
Circuits
Cognitive load
Computer Science
Disabled Persons - rehabilitation
Drivers
Driving
Equipment Design
Female
France
Humans
Life Sciences
Male
Middle Aged
Neurological disorders
Neurons and Cognition
Robotics
Wheelchairs
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Summary:In France, tens of thousands of people use a wheelchair. Driving powered wheelchairs (PWCs) present risks for users and their families. The risk of collision in PWC driver increases with severity of disability and may reduce their independence to drive. The European ADAPT project has developed a robotic assistance add-on for PWCs to prevent collisions and improve their driving performance. The aim of the SWADAPT2 study is to assess the benefit of this robotic assistance add-on arranged on a Standard Quickie Salsa M2 PWC in a population of PWC drivers with neurological disorders and driving difficulties. Eighteen (18) participants tested the system on three circuits of increasing difficulty, with and without the robotic assistance add-on. The benefit of the robotic assistance add-on was important especially on the more difficult circuits without impacting cognitive load or driving speed. The number of collisions was significantly reduced when using robotic assistance add-on from 2.16 to 0.36 on circuit 2 (  = 0.009) and from 7.3 to 1.33 on circuit 3 (  = 0.0009). Task load demand was not increased with the assistance. Finally, this system seems to be indicated to assist and improve driving safety for PWC drivers in driving difficulty. Evaluation was performed in controlled environments; therefore, further evaluation in real-world scenarios is needed to reach technology readiness.
ISSN:1748-3107
1748-3115
1748-3115
DOI:10.1080/17483107.2023.2253339