E-WheelChAIr

Smart Embedded System for Electric Wheelchairs

For all files see the github link : https://github.com/RenaudFookIng/E-WheelChAIr

Origin of the project :

- Occupational therapist and Medical Doctor couldn’t prescribe a Power Wheelchair if the user driving it could injure themselves or others.
- In consequence, the user with massive motor impairment and cognitive or visual impairment don’t have power wheelchair and they depend of the other to move in their home and the city.

Description

E-WheelChAIr is an open-source project designed to enhance autonomy and accessibility for electric wheelchairs. It integrates:

A ROS2-based architecture for real-time control and sensor fusion.
3D-printed mechanical parts (sensor mounts, joystick adapters).
Modular design for easy customization and collaboration with partners like Sorbonne University.

📸 Visual Overview

Wheelchair Views

Project Structure

Note: All ROS launch files are centralized in the e_wheelchair_launch package for easier management.

E-WheelChAIr/
├── hardware
│   ├── 3d_models
│   │   ├── BackRest_Fixation/
│   │   │   ├── Fixation_BackRest.iges
│   │   │   ├── Fixation_backrest_part1.stl
│   │   │   └── Fixation_backrest_part2.stl
│   │   ├── Camera_Module/
│   │   │   ├── Camera_module.iges
│   │   │   ├── Fixation_camera.stl
│   │   │   ├── Fixation_camera_up.stl
│   │   │   └── Support_camera.stl
│   │   ├── ServoControl_Joystick/
│   │   │   ├── BasePart.stl
│   │   │   ├── FourchetteAxeX.stl
│   │   │   ├── FourchetteAxeY.stl
│   │   │   ├── Servo_controller_Joystick.iges
│   │   │   ├── Support_servo_joystick.stl
│   │   │   └── Visuel_Joystick_servomoteur_support.png
│   │   └── Ultrasonic_Module/
│   │
│   ├── arduino/
│   │   ├── ewheelchair_controller/
│   │   │   ├── ewheelchair_controller.ino
│   │   │   └── lecture_arduino.py
│   │   ├── ARDUINO_GUIDE.md
│   │   ├── FILES_SUMMARY.md
│   │   ├── README.md
│   │   └── test_arduino.py
│   │
│   ├── Image_processing/
│   │   ├── cmd.txt
│   │   ├── ROS.txt
│   │   ├── vision_config_gpu.py
│   │   ├── vision_config_mac.py
│   │   ├── vision_system_gpu.py
│   │   ├── vision_system_mac.py
│   │   ├── yolo11n.pt
│   │   └── yolov8n.pt
│   │
│   └── Right_View.jpeg
│
├── resources
│   ├── docs
│   └── utils
|
├── src
|   ├── arduino_bridge/
|   │   ├── arduino_bridge
|   │   │   ├── __init__.py
|   │   │   └── arduino_bridge_node.py
|   │   ├── resource
|   │   │   └── arduino_bridge
|   │   ├── test
|   │   │   ├── test_copyright.py
|   │   │   ├── test_flake8.py
|   │   │   └── test_pep257.py
|   │   ├── package.xml
|   │   ├── setup.cfg
|   │   └── setup.py
|   ├── custom_msgs/
|   │   ├── msg/
|   │   │   ├── EmergencyData.msg
|   │   │   ├── Joystick.msg
|   │   │   ├── ObstacleDetection.msg
|   │   │   ├── ServoCommand.msg
|   │   │   ├── UltrasonicArray.msg
|   │   │   ├── VisionObstacle.msg
|   │   │   └── WyesIntent.msg
|   │   ├── CMakeLists.txt
|   │   ├── package.xml
|   │   └── setup.py
|   ├── e_wheelchair_launch/
|   │   ├── e_wheelchair_launch
|   │   │   ├── __init__.py
|   │   │   └── launch/
|   │   ├── resource/
|   │   │   └── e_wheelchair_launch
|   │   ├── package.xml
|   │   ├── setup.cfg
|   │   └── setup.py
|   ├── master_node/
|   │   ├── config/
|   │   │   ├── master_config.yaml
|   │   │   └── servo_config.yaml
|   │   ├── master_node/
|   │   │   ├── __init__.py
|   │   │   ├── master_node.py
|   │   │   └── master_node_bis.py
|   │   ├── package.xml
|   │   ├── setup.cfg
|   │   └── setup.py
|   ├── pc_vision_bridge/
|   │   ├── pc_vision_bridge
|   │   │   ├── __init__.py
|   │   │   └── pc_vision_bridge_node.py
|   │   ├── resource
|   │   │   └── pc_vision_bridge
|   │   ├── test
|   │   │   ├── test_copyright.py
|   │   │   ├── test_flake8.py
|   │   │   └── test_pep257.py
|   │   ├── package.xml
|   │   ├── setup.cfg
|   │   └── setup.py
|   └── wyes_teleop/
|       ├── resource
|       │   └── wyes_teleop
|       ├── test
|       │   ├── test_copyright.py
|       │   ├── test_flake8.py
|       │   └── test_pep257.py
|       ├── wyes_teleop
|       │   ├── __init__.py
|       │   └── wyes_teleop_node.py
|       ├── package.xml
|       ├── setup.cfg
|       └── setup.py
|
├── .gitignore
├── CABLAGE_SCHEMA.md
├── E-WheelChAIr.mp4
├── LICENSE
├── parametrage_raspberry_hotspot.txt
├── README.md
├── TESTING_GUIDE.md
└── yolov8n.pt

Prerequisites

Hardware

Electric wheelchair with servo-controlled joystick (using Miuzei MZ996 servos).
Sensors: Intel Realsense (depth camera), HC-SR04 (ultrasonic), Arduino (I/O interface).
Joystick or alternative control input device.

Software

ROS2 Jazzy.
colcon (build tool for ROS2).
OnShape (for 3D modeling).
Git LFS (for versioning large 3D files).
Python 3.9+ with pyserial and pyyaml packages.

Installation and Setup On your computer

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/RenaudFookIng/E-WheelChAIr.git
cd E-WheelChAIr

2. Build the ROS Workspace

colcon build --symlink-install
source install/setup.bash

3. Launch the System

ros2 launch e_wheelchair_launch ewheelchair_all.launch.py

Installation and Setup On your Raspberry PI

1. Cloner le dépôt en mode "sparse-checkout"

git clone --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/RenaudFookIng/E-WheelChAIr.git
cd E-WheelChAIr

2. Active le mode sparse-checkout et exclut le dossier 'hardware'

git sparse-checkout init --cone
git sparse-checkout set --no-cone /* !/hardware/

3. Extrait les fichiers (sauf 'hardware')

git checkout main

Build the ROS Workspace

colcon build --symlink-install
source install/setup.bash

ROS Launch Files Centralization

All ROS launch files have been centralized in the e_wheelchair_launch package to provide:

Simplified Management: Single location for all launch configurations
Easier Maintenance: No duplication across packages
Consistent Structure: Uniform approach to system launching
Better Organization: Clear separation between nodes and launch configurations

Available Launch Files

Launch File	Description	Components Launched
`ewheelchair_all.launch.py`	Complete system with all sensors and processing	6 nodes
`ewheelchair_joystick_servo.launch.py`	Control servo with joystick and Ultrasonic sensor	2 node
`ewheelchair_arduino_vision.launch.py`	Control servo with joystick and Ultrasonic sensor and Wide-angle camera processing	3 node
`ewheelchair_wyes_teleop.launch.py`	Control servo with joystick, Ultrasonic sensor and Wyes Glasses	3 node

ROS Packages

Package	Description
`arduino_bridge`	Receives data from Arduino sensors
`custom_msgs`	Custom ROS message definitions
`e_wheelchair_launch`	Launch files for the complete system
`master_node`	Main control node for servo-controlled joystick
`pc_vision_bridge`	Bridge between PC vision system and ROS
`wyes_teleop`	Keyboard-based teleoperation interface

Pour se connecter au Hotspot WiFi :

Nom du Hotspot : E-Wheelchair
Mot de passe : EWheelChair2025

Pour se connecter à la plateforme : Nom de la plateforme : ewheelchair2

ssh ewheelchair2@192.168.4.1

mdp : ewheelchair

3D Models

Location: 3d_models/
Formats: STL and STEP files for 3D printing and simulation.
Tools: Designed in OnShape.
Note: Use git lfs pull after cloning to retrieve 3D files.

Recent Changes

Version 0.2.0 (Current)

Major Architecture Change: Replaced Sabertooth motor controller with Miuzei MZ996 servo-based joystick control
New Package: arduino_bridge for Arduino-based servo management
Updated: master_node now publishes joystick commands instead of motor commands
Updated: visualization package removed motor speed plotting
Improved: Safety features with neutral position on emergency stop

Version 0.1.0

Initial release with Sabertooth motor controller
Basic sensor integration (ultrasonic, camera)
ROS2 Jazzy compatibility

Collaboration

University of Milan: Partner for accessibility validation.
Contributions: Pull requests and issues are welcome!
License: Apache 2.0 (see LICENSE).

Contact

Maintainer: Renaud JANET (renaud.janet@etu.sorbonne-universite.fr
Github link : https://github.com/RenaudFookIng/E-WheelChAIr