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SMART Wheelchair User Manual Version 5

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1. Again it scales all the individual distances With the pointer in the middle the scale is 1 i e all distances are as programmed Fully anti clockwise divides the distances by 2 and fully clockwise multiplies by 2 Smart Wheelchair U Rox 5 1 Adju ce The Res eleration and deceleration for the Smart Wheelchair It also scales the n ed back accaleration deceleration and turn acceleration deceleration o acceleration as programmed turn it fully anti clockwise to divide the res ce to multiply by 2 Using the programme switch on the Too The Smart Wheelchair Speed Response and Distance knobs set overall values If you want you can set individual quantities for example forward backward speed bump reverse distance etc separately using the Programme switch on the ToolBox After setting these individual values the Speed Response and Distance knobs scale them up or down Values are remembered after you switch the power off The overall procedure for programming is the same whatever is being adjusted 1 Switch Programming on the Observer will say Program mode on and the green light will flash Set Motion Tools to Momentary Bump Line and Scan Tools off Select the tool whose settings you want to adjust with the appropriate Tool switch es Adjust the setting using the Speed Distance or Response control Press and release the appropriate switch to fix
2. Rotation speed Right Speed Momentary None None None 4 Press and release this switch to fix the parameter to the value Tool switch set by the Control knob setting Summary table for programming Smart Wheelchair values Programming Speeds The Programming switch can be used to set straightline forward and back and rotation turn left and right speeds individually see the table below Parameter User Control Motion Tool Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob Forward speed Forward Speed Momentary None None None Back speed Back Speed Momentary None None None Rotation speed Right Speed Momentary None None None Programming Veer One of the most common problems with electric wheelchairs particularly when driving with switches is getting them to go in a straight line Sticky castors uneven weight distribution sloping surfaces and unbalanced motors all cause the chair to veer to left or right instead of going straight forwards You can adjust the Smart Controller to compensate for these imbalances by using the programming switch Parameter User Control Motion Tool Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob Adjust veer Left Speed Momentary None None None For veer adjustment the Speed control acts like a balance knob set it in the mid position 12 o clock for zero compensation turn anti clockwise to make the chair veer left and Smart Wheelchair User Manual ToolBox 5 3 clockwise to veer right
3. 5 mm jack sockets Barrel Ov common Tip signal Multiple switch Pin Action 9 pin D plug Forward Back Left Right Swap Stop Out 1 Ov common Out 2 OA Un R D Smart Wheelchair User Manual Driving the chair with switches 4 2 5 Smart Wheelchair ToolBox otion Tools Latched Timed Momentary Distance Response Status Scanner 2 switch 1 switch Off Bumpers amp Turn amp Backoff amp Stop Auditory scan 4 8 Scan directions Fault Bumpers plug in here Bumpers ine Follower Fence Junctions Follow On Off Leds light up when bumpers Speech are activated P Scan at junctions Programme User Line Motion Control Speech Computers and gt communication aids plug in here The ToolBox is used to make Tool selections and adjustments to the Smart Wheelchair The function of each tool is described in the later sections of the handbook Adjusting Speed The Speed control sets the overall speeds for the Smart Wheelchair It scales all the other individual speeds like forward back rotation speed reversing from collisions etc etc With the pointer in the middle the scale is 1 i e all speeds are unchanged Fully anti clockwise divides the speeds by 2 and fully clockwise multiplies by 2 Adjusting Distance The Distance control sets the overall distances moved by the Smart Wheelchair for Timed moves and when backing off and turning away from an obstacle
4. Press and release the Left switch to set the value Test the straightline accuracy by lining the chair up on flat ground with the castors pointing forwards then press a forward switch If the chair veers off within a few metres try adjusting the veer to compensate Programming Distance for Timed motion The overall Distance of the chair is set with the Distance control on the ToolBox It scales all the individual distances by 75 Individual distances can be set using the programming switch as shown below The maximum distance that can be set is 5m Parameter Forward distance Back distance Rotation distance User Switch Forward Back Right Control knob Distance Distance Distance Motion Tool Timed Timed Timed Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool None None None None None None None None None Programmira chair response The over controls the v accelerate and dec factors from a divide by chair is set with the Response control on the Smart Controller It leration of the chair Turn it anticlockwise to make the chair ackwise to make it faster Again it scales all the other res 2 Individual responses can be set using the programming switch as shown Parameter User Control M aol Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob Straightline acceleration Forward Response Latched re None Straightline deceleration Back Response Latched 1 None Rotational acceleration Right Respo
5. choose at junctions in all three directions try and use T or Y junctions At the moment the chair will recognise the junction when going from right to left a but may not recognise it properly when going from left to right b or when joining the main line from the spur c Sometimes it will offer Left or Right and sometimes it will go straight on following the line Use T or Y junctions to get a consistent response D gt lt 4 a lt A c t Use T or Y junctions where chairs are coming from all three directions Who might use a doorway funnel Some pilots have full using three or four switches a joystick or communication aid but erratic control over the chair and find it difficult to get through tight or awkward spaces such as doorways For these children some help in negotiating these contexts would increase independence and reduce frustration We know that Bump tools can help a little but often they help too late due to the sharp irregularities of doors Using a line follower section should solve the problem almost completely if the line is laid to give clearance of the sides of the doorjamb or obstacle Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 9 Using the doorway funnel The basic doorway funnel layout is given below The user drives up to the line and doesn t have to be too careful about accuracy provided the chair goes over the line When the chair detects it it
6. into the chair when s he is using it Always fit the driver s seat securely to the chassis with the locking catches engaged Do not let the driver operate the chair in the close vicinity of stairs either inside or out BR WN Do not allow the child to drive alone in a room with a fire or to drive too close to a fire Be careful too of wall heaters the driver may have decreased sensation and not know when he is burning 5 Be especially careful of the driver in the kitchen Again think of all the hazards that you would be wary of with a young child 6 Do not encourage the child to use people to bump into as the child may have little appreciation of pain 7 Be careful of flexes their height could be a potential hazard to a child in a wheelchair you can duck but they can t Also because the child driver could pull electrical things on top of them 8 Be very careful of tables the bumpers will only stop the chair if they make contact with the table leg and the table is heavy or fixed to the floor or wall Lightweight items of furniture will be pushed across the room without activating the bumpers 9 Switch off the power and engage the rear wheels before entering or leaving the chair 10 Do not stand on the foot plates or bumpers when entering or leaving the chair 11 Do not hand heavy objects on the back of the seat that could cause the chair to become unstable particularly when negotiating inclines Emergency
7. lights up This can be especi th Latched Control Choices aj With Bump and its an obstacle to the front it stops and will not let you go forward again on The Scanner or Scan Leds indicate he left right or back Leds The pilot uses the switches to drive off in any of u larly choices to turn with Bump and Choose turn are given using the Scanner Choices at Line Junctions If the chair finds a line junction say to the left it stops and lights left and forward Leds to indicate these are the possible choices The driver presses the left ur the forward switch to choose the track to follow Note here we are talking about using the Leds to reinforce choices for children using several switches to drive the chair directly If you want these choices to be scanned see below Smart Wheelchair User Manual Driving with the Scanner 8 3 Scanner Tools Scanner Use the Scan Tools controls on the ToolBox to select scanning 2 switch 1 switch Off control and either one or two switch scan The Scan speed can be altered with the speed control The scanner can either scan through 4 or 8 directions 4 8Scan And choices can be offered using speech as well as with the Scanner directions lights Auditory scan One switch scan gt ON Two switch scan Plug your Drive switch into the Forward socket Press and release the switch to start the scan then press the
8. switch when the required direction lights The chosen direction will stay on while the chair is moving according to the motion tool chosen When the chair stops press the switch to start the Scanner again at the beginning If no direction is selected after 3 cycles round the scanner stops until the switch is pressed again The Scan Speed and number of scan cycles are adjustable see below Plug the Drive switch into the Forward socket and the Scan switch into the Right socket Press and release the Scan switch to light up each direction in turn until you get the one you want then press the Drive switch to move in that direction If the Scan switch is held down the Scanner scans at the speed set by the Scan Speed control Movement is controlled with the selected Motion Tool Smart Wheelchair User Manual Driving with the Scanner 8 4 4 8 direction scan oo You can scan either 4 or 8 directions 8 4 directions Pilots who need a slow scan speed may choose to select i from 4 rather than 8 directions oe 8 directions Driving with 8 directions is much easier than with only 4 provided the pilot can control the Scanner accurately 4 Smart Scan s scanning approach is for good scanning users and em better control of the chair as they are driving SA Q S amp ith both the Latched and Timed Mou ving forward or back the driver is offered n n The nudge left right are on momentary cv stops when you re
9. the chair directly the available directions say forward and left at a line junction light up and the pilot presses the appropriate switch in this example the left or forward switch to make a choice Section 11 4 describes this further For children using one or two switches and scanning the available choices are illuminated one at a time and the child presses a switch when the one they want is lit See 11 5 for how to switch on this Scanning Control 3 The Scanner can give full control over all directions of motion for children who can only operate one or two switches Each of the 8 directions forward back left right and those in between forward right back left etc light up in turn and the pilot selects the direction by pressing a switch Driving with the Scanner is described in 11 5 Scan LEDs Some children may find the Scanner lights too abstract for giving feedback or choices they may have difficulty relating the forward direction say to the top lights on the Scanner box The Scan Leds are separate lights which can be connected in place of the ordinary scanner Then the lights are positioned far apart perhaps inside large coloured cardboard arrows so that the relationship between the light and direction is clearer Similarly children using switches to drive the chair directly might find it easier to understand if the Scan Led is positioned beside or actually inside each control switch Instead of the scan
10. the setting Switch Programming off synthesiser will say Program mode off and the green light will go back on Nn BR D 7 Turn the Tool switches and Speed Distance and Response controls knob back to where they were before you started programming The sections below describe how the various parameters can be set Often you will never need to change the standard settings but some individuals and environments may need special control or tool arrangements To avoid having to repeat these instructions throughout the rest of the Manual we ll use a table like the one below to show the setting to be adjusted the Control knob which adjusts it the Tool switches which define it and the switch which sets the value The example below shows how to set individual straightline and rotation speeds For example to set straightline speech you would Turn Programming On Select Momentary motion tool Adjust the Speed knob up or down as required Press and release the forward switch to fix the setting Turn Programming Off DAnNRWN gt Turn all controls and tool switches back to where they were before Smart Wheelchair User Manual ToolBox 5 2 The parameter to Which of the three Control knobs be adjusted Speed Response or Distance are used to set the parameter Parameter User Control Motion Tool Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob lt Straightline speed Forward Speed Momentary None None None
11. will ignore any junctions it finds If you want short sections of track for guiding the chair through doorways or tight spaces this is the tool to choose This tool lets the chair follow the tape track laid on the floor perhaps around home between rooms in school or around the classroom When a junction is found the driver selects the track to be followed by pressing the appropriate switch i e left right forward or back or by selecting from the choices offered visually or aurally by the Scanner and Observer o Control is switched off choices at line junctions are neously e g forward and left lights up at the same n even if they are driving the chair directly with t find it easier if they are offered only one Some children may be driving with a witch but if they come to a Right hey don t have a Right turn chan ut offers scanning 10 1 sts the pilot control the Safety fence The chair stops when it detects a line Tapes can be laid around dangerous features like stairwells to stop the chair reaching them The safety fence can work just like bumpers r by programming i e whatever the bump tool is set to when he chair detects a line it will treat it as a bump or it can work endently of the bump tool and just stop the chair The programming for the sa Parameter User Con Rump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob Safety with bump ON Forward Mo Safety None Safet
12. will stop and say Line found The pilot then presses Forward and the chair will follow the line through the doorway until it reaches the end of the straight piece when it will stop and say Line Lost leaving the pilot to move on Note that the user can leave the line at any point by turning off it provided Line Control is set to User The Doorway Funnel is not clairvoyant and so may occasionally get it wrong For example if you approach the capture funnel at a really extreme angle the chair might follow the line in the wrong direction yy Ld Joining the funnel at an acute angle If you approach the line very fast there is a small but finite possibility that the chair will overshoot the line and lose it although this is unlikely since the chair remembers where it last saw the line and should turn towards it It is also possible for the chair to join one side of the funnel and when it comes to the neck to follow the other side of the funnel rather than the neck To avoid this stagger the two funnel sides where they join the neck PK Chair follows other funnel instead of neck avoided by staggered funnels Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 10 Laying tape for a doorway funnel Key features of a successful funnel are sufficient width to capture all the traffic approaching the door and sufficient clearance in front of the door to stop and turn speed freaks before they hit the wall The angle of the fu
13. with them The wheelchair is able to help with some of the more simple tasks to do with moving or dealing with collisions The central idea is that you can concentrate on learning and practising one task while the wheelchair takes care of another For example you might want the wheelchair to deal with bumps or guide you from room to room while you get on with the important things like deciding when to move Smart Wheelchair User Manual An Introduction 1 3 Smart Wheelchair User Manual An Introduction 1 4 2 The Smart Wheelchair A Description The Smart Wheelchair Let s have a guided tour of the wheelchair chassis with the footplates removed Scanner DX joystick The Smart Wheelchair consists of the e wheelchair chassis e DX Power Module which drives the wheels e DX joystick which can be used by a helper to drive the chair e Smart Wheelchair Controller which contains the computer that controls the system e Bumpers e Line Follower e Scanner Smart Wheelchair User Manual A Description 2 1 The Smart Controller Power Module and Controls Underneath the seat and on top of the battery box is the Smart Wheelchair Controller and the Control Dynamics DX Power Module There will also be a Control Dynamics joystick which is usually mounted on the back of the user s seat The joystick and the Smart Controller are both DX modules that send signals along the DX bus to the Power Module Th
14. MERC Granada Learning Granada Television Quay Street Manchester M60 9EA Tel 0161 827 2927 http www semerc com Switches switch mounts and Acorn and PC SEN software and hardware Smile Rehab Ltd 3 Bone Lane Newbury RG14 5SH Tel 01635 42305 http www smilerehab com Manufactuers of the Bobcat and Smart Wheelchairs Techcess Unit 12 Willow Park Industrial Estate Upton Lane Stoke Golding Nuneaton Warwickshire CV13 6EU Tel 01455 213708 Suppliers of a wide range of switches and other devices including TASH switches and Daessy mounts Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and Safety 12 9 Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and Safety 12 10
15. Momentary say then it stays Momentary whether you then select Momentary Timed or Latched for the Forward Back motion If you want the Motion Tool switch to control rotational motion again you must de program the turn Motion Tool Use the Programming Switch to set the turning motion tool flick the Bump Control switch down to User hold down the Right switch select the Motion Tool with the Motion Tool switch and then release the Right switch To de program the rotation Motion Tool switch Programming ON set Bump Control to User then press and release the Left switch We know that setting the Bump Control switch to User does not make much sense for selecting motion tools but we have run out of options If you have any suggestions which make more sense please tell us Parameter Tool User Control Motion Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch Switch knob Tool Program Bump Right Select None None None Rotation motion Control set Momentary tool to USER timed or latched De program Bump Left None None None Rotation Motion Control set Tool to USER Smart Wheelchair User Manual Motion Tools 6 2 7 Integrating a computer or communication device to the chair There are two ways in which you can control and integrate a laptop computer or communication aid with the Smart Wheelchair Either you can connect the computer or VOCA to the RS232 socket and drive the chair from the VOCA or you can use th
16. Safety 12 7 The chair does not follow the line properly OBSERVATION SOLUTION Is Line Following switched on on the toolbox Switch it on Is the Line Follower unit plugged into the front of the Smart Controller If not plug it in Wave some tape under the Line Follower Do ALL the Line Sensor lights light up on the Smart Controller front panel as the tape is If yes the line follower is working OK If one light does not come on one of the line sensors may be faulty contact Smile Rehab If no The chair swings out at corners Use wider gentler corners The chair moves too slowly on the line Try increasing the Line Following speed with the Programming Switch but carefully The chair does not find line when it goes across it Approach the line more slowly The chair does not lose line Have a straight piece of tape before the line stops The chair does not detect junctions Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and Safety Switch Line Junctions on See Section 10 on laying line junctions 12 8 Suppliers If you need help with anything to do with the Smart Wheelchair contact Smile Rehab in the first instance However the chair is designed so that you can try out different switches controls training ideas and activities without having to always call in an engineer or technician or occupational or physiotherapist To help you with this we have listed s
17. a Mue ALL Centre SMART Wheelchair User Manual Version 5 CALL Centre 2000 Smart Wheelchair User Manual Don t panic Phone 01635 37550 Play and Exploration are the cornerstones of learning A person with poor co ordination and control communication problems or one who cannot walk has less chance to explore and play and is less effective when they do SO For a person with allthese problems learning is difficult It s a vicious circle lack of physical control means no mobility no mobility restricts the ability to explore the surroundings thus leading to an inability to learn how to learn Communicating with others involves new learning tasks like tracking scanning or coding Even if learning is successful the results don t transfer because the skills needed for another task say mobility are rarely the same The Smart Wheelchair was designed to help by providing a common learning environment for communication mobility and some structured play and exploration in which skills transfer from task to task some relief from the responsibility for mundane mobility tasks whilst new skills are acquired This Manual should be read in conjunction with the Wheelchair Playbook which sketches out things to do with the Smart Wheelchair as well as outlining some of the background to its development How to Use this Manual The Smart Wheelchair design has been evolving since 1991 and this process conti
18. air User Manual Integrating Communication Aids 7 2 Smart Wheelchair User Manual Integrating Communication Aids 7 3 Smart Wheelchair User Manual Integrating Communication Aids 7 4 8 Driving with the Scanner The Scanner box The Scanner is a small unit with 8 pairs of Leds which correspond to each of the 8 directions the chair moves Smart Wheelchair yy J Scanner Op Smart Wheelchair Scanner The Scanner must obviously be mounted so that the wheelchair driver can see it The Scanner is supplied with a bracket for attaching it to a wheelchair tray or it can be positioned using a proprietary mounting systems such as the Universal Switch Mount Mighty Mount the Slim Armstrong the QED Mobilia or Techess Daessy system Smile Rehab can supply clamps and poles if necessary The Scanner plugs into the Scanner socket on the SwitchBox Smart Wheelchair User Manual Driving with the Scanner 8 1 Function of the Scanner and Scan LEDs The Scanner and Scan Leds Led stands for light emitting diode do three things 1 They can give visual confirmation of the direction the chair is currently moving a visual Observer for example if forward is selected the forward Led lights up See Section 11 4 for a description of this visual feedback 2 They can present choices of possible direction at Track Junctions or after collisions This is done in two ways For children using several switches to drive
19. d environment Bump and Stop to help get out of trouble after a collision Bump and Back Off or Bump and Avoid or to give a crude means of exploration and play Bump and Turn There are several different bump tools all selected using the Bump indicator ToolBox User Bump Control Bump and Avoid Smart Wheelchair User Manual Bump Tools 9 1 No Bump Bump and Stop Bump and Backoff be Bump and Turn T g af eg Smart Wheelchair User Manual Bump Tools The chair will do nothing on colliding with an object Recognises that the chair has collided with an object stops the motors and waits for you to press go again If you try to keep going at the object the chair will not let you it knows that there is an obstacle in your way and will only let you move off in a different direction Bump and Stop is essentially a safety system Recognises that the chair has collided with an object stops the motors and backs away from the obstruction Useful for pilots who can drive and steer but need a little help to get out of tight corners Recognises that the chair has collided with an object stops the motors backs away slightly and turns the chair through a small angle to allow you to go off in another direction The direction of the turn left or right is set up with the ToolBox programming switch Bump and Turn is useful to introduce steering play games and for a single switch user to expl
20. d joysticks e g TASH 5 way switch Dudley Heavy Duty joystick connect to the Multiple switch plug Plug the drive switches Press the swap switch Jack sockets for into these jack sockets to send Forward and switch signals from Right switch signals to chair to other Far Far the line sensors 4 Right Right Left Left Outl and Out2 devices detect the track lt O e Left Right Stop Swap Outi Out2 LEDs light up when Forward Back EN WF 60 0 Saneors Scanner Multiple Switch Line Follower Scanner plugs in Multiple switch units LEDs light up when a plugs in here here and switched joysticks switch is pressed plug int here The SwitchBox Front Panel Select the driving tool you want and plug it in The wheelchair immediately knows that you have chosen the tool and will attend to its demands So for example we will suppose that you want to control the wheelchair using a simple Buddy Button or Jelly Bean switch as a forward control Get the switch mounted on the wheelchair in a position that will allow you to Smart Wheelchair User Manual Driving the chair with switches 4 1 control it and plug it in to the Forward socket The wheelchair now presumes that you want to control its starting and stopping and is ready to obey you immediately But say all you want to do is to make the chair go and leave the chair to look after the stopping itself This is when you choose ano
21. description of what the the DX flash codes mean If a DX fault is shown first switch the chair off wait five seconds and then switch on again If it still flashes go through the trouble shooting in section 12 and if you cannot find the fault contact Smile Rehab The chair switches itself off The DX Power Module and joystick and the Smart Controller are continually checking their own internal operation If they discovers anything wrong they shut down the system on the grounds that it is better to be safe than sorry The red light on the Smart Wheelchair Smart Wheelchair User Manual Smart Controller 3 1 Controller will come on and or the green indicator on the attendant Joystick will start flashing If this happens try switching the power on again as normal If the chair immediately switches itself off again go through the trouble shooting procedure and if you cannot find the fault contact Smile Rehab Ok so what do do now Setting up the Smart Wheelchair for your own particular tasks involves making some decisions We think about tackling tasks using tools Both of you that is the wheelchair and you has a bag of tools which you can choose to use for a particular task To make the wheelchair start stop and change direction the driver needs to be able to instruct and communicate with the chair we ve called the things to do this User Tools and they include switches joysticks computers scanning displays or commu
22. e separate Switch output sockets on the SwitchBox to send the switch signals to the chair or to the VOCA Using the switch output sockets By adding an extra Swap switch you can swap the signals from the Forward and Right input switches between the Smart chair and a switch operated computer or VOCA Drive switch plugged into SwitchBox eg Forward socket Switch plugged into SWAP socket swaps Drive switch between chair and VOCA Connect Out socket to VOCA Using a Swap switch to control the chair and VOCA with the same switch Plug your Swap switch the one you are going to use to swap the switch signals between the chair and the VOCA into the Swap socket on the SwitchBox Then plug lead s from the Out I and or Out 2 sockets into the VOCA When you press and release the Swap switch the Forward and Right switches will be connected to the VOCA and operate it when you press and release the Swap switch again they will drive the chair as normal On pressing the Swap switch the speech synthesiser will report that you are using the Out sockets and if the Scanner is connected all the Red lights will come on When you operate the Swap switch again to drive the chair the speech synthesiser will report this and the Scanner lights will go off Smart Wheelchair User Manual Integrating Communication Aids 7 1 Driving the chair with a computer or communication aid You can connect a laptop computer or commun
23. e Power Module converts the signals into high current outputs for driving the two motors The DX Power Module is fully programmable to cater for a wide range of chair types and user needs Correct installation and programming are essential to ensure optimum performance and safety The Power Module has been pre programmed for the Smart Wheelchair chassis and electronics these settings must not be changed Any adjustments to speeds and other options must be made using the Smart Wheelchair programming options described in Section 5 The joystick allows the chair to be driven by a helper or attendant The joystick and Smart Wheelchair Controller MUST be connected to the Power Module for correct operation of the Smart Wheelchair The main wheelchair off on switch is the large white oblong pad towards the top of the joystick You press it once to turn the chair on and then press it again to turn the chair off Battery Level Indicator On Off Switch System Indicator Mode Switch The blue Mode button switches control of the chair between the joystick and the Smart Controller To drive the chair with the joystick press the mode button till the Mode indicator reads 2 to switch back to driving with the Smart Controller press the Mode button again so that the indicator reads 1 NOTE The Smart Wheelchair sensors and systems Bumpers Line Follower etc do not operate when the chair is driven with the joystick Smart Whe
24. e Rehab will contact you to arrange an upgrade To find out which version you have hold down the Forward and Stop switches while you power up and the speech synthesiser will tell you provided the speech is switched on Smart Wheelchair User Manual ToolBox 5 5 Smart Wheelchair User Manual ToolBox 5 6 6 Smart Wheelchair Motion Tools Motion Tools The rotary switch on the ToolBox labelled Motion Tools is used to select the switch action Momentary go whilst I press the button and stop when I release it like operating a doorbell l no D Timed go when I press the button and keep going for a fixed time set by the Distance control e Latched go when I press the button and stop when I press it a second time or when I press the Stop switch like turning on a house light Characteristics and functions of Motion Tools Momentary Momentary control gives the majority of drivers most accurate control over starting and stopping It also gives clear cause and effect when driving the chair moves when the switch is pressed and stops when the switch is released However momentary control does require the pilot to maintain the switch closure and release it with good timing so some children may find it difficult to manage or fatiguing Timed Timed Control is often useful when introducing children to the Smart chair for the first time because the child just has to activate the switch and the chair stops itse
25. ech synthesiser the switch and control connectors and the ToolBox for selecting the various wheelchair functions A Dynamics joystick is also provided for attendant control see section 2 Switching On and Off To switch the wheelchair on press the power button on the Joystick and select Mode 1 If the system is functioning properly the green indicator on the joystick with be on and the green light on the Smart Wheelchair Controller will come on If the speech is switched on the wheelchair will also talk Once this has happened the Smart Wheelchair is ready to drive If the green light on the Smart Wheelchair Controller starts to flash when you switch on don t panic If the light is flashing once a second this means the Smart Wheelchair is in programming mode turn programming mode off with the Program switch on the ToolBox Flashing twice a second indicates that a bumper is stuck on which may mean the bumpers need adjustment see bump tools section on bumper adjustment If after adjusting the bumpers you still get a stuck indication contact Smile Rehab In this condition the chair will still operate but you will not be able to use the Bump Tools and they should be turned off on the ToolBox Both of the above conditions are reported by the Speech if you have it switched on If the green indicator on the Joystick starts to flash when you power on it means the DX Power Module has detected a fault in the system See Section 12 for a
26. ed the Flash Code different flash codes indicate different faults The codes and what they mean are listed below Faults which may effect safety will cause the chair to stop Some faults are automatically cleared when the fault is fixed others are latched and must be cleared by switching off waiting for two seconds and then switching on again If the fault is not safety critical the chair may go into Limp mode where it can be driven but only slowly If a DX fault is shown first switch the chair off wait five seconds and then switch on again If it still flashes make a note of the flash code and then contact Smile Rehab No of flashes Fault Chair stops Fault latched Limp Mode 1 DX Module faulty Depends on module Depends on fault If PM or Joystick 2 DX Accessory fault Depends on fault Depends on fault No 3 Left M1 Motor fault Yes Yes No 4 Right M2 Motor fault Yes Yes No 5 Left M1 Parkbrake fault Yes Yes No 6 Right M1 Parkbrake fault Yes Yes No 7 Low battery fault Yes No No 8 Over voltage fault Yes No No 9 CANL fault Yes No Yes 10 CANH fault Yes Yes Yes 11 Stall Time Out Yes Yes No 12 Module mismatch Yes Yes No When you want to turn the wheelchair off whether or not the chair is running i e in an emergency or at the end of a session just press the on off button on the joystick Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and Safety 12 6 The chair does not move when press the switch There are s
27. elchair User Manual A Description 2 2 The Drive Wheels The Drive Wheels must be engaged in order for the chair to be driven by the motors similarly disengaging the wheels enables the wheelchair to be pushed To engage and disengage the wheels pull out the red lever in the centre of the drive wheels The rear wheels have pneumatic tyres keep those pumped up to the correct pressure To disengage the Drive To engage the Drive Wheel Wheel lt v ee y nae Turn and Pull out and click turn Seating The wheelchair seat can be removed by pressing down the two catches at the rear mounts and tipping the seat forward and lifting it off Putting it back is just the reverse Make sure the rear seat latches lock the seat in position Smart Wheelchair User Manual A Description 2 3 Battery Charging The battery charge level is indicated by a set of six lights at the top of the joystick With a fully charged battery all six lights light up As the battery voltage drops the green then yellow then red lights go out When the two red lights only are flashing there is approximately 10 of battery capacity left and the battery should be charged If the chair is used all day every day charge the batteries overnight every night If you use the chair for short periods every day charge it once or twice a week Even if you don t use the chair for a while you should charge the batteries at least once a month To charge the batter
28. er that in relying on the line follower the child will not have a chance of developing or learning new skills With the bump tools and motion tools we have an expectation that children will develop new skills and a path to get them there start off with one switch add another then a third and so on Lastly bump tools particularly bump and turn often require supervision from adults since they do not prevent pilots getting stuck in corners completely whereas a child should be able to follow the line from one place to another and have reasonable confidence of getting there thereby giving experience of successful mobility without help from others Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 4 Finding the line The line follower has no effect on the chair s motion until it finds a line to follow If a line is detected under the chair it will stop and say Found line If you want to follow the line press Forward If you don t steer away from it until it says Lost line Generally the chair follows the line in the direction you approached it but sometimes it might get it wrong and try to move in the opposite direction see the diagram below Also if you travel up to the line very quickly you may overshoot it before the chair stops this should not be a problem because the chair will remember where it saw the line and turn towards it but occasionally it might miss and the chair will say Lost line and you ll have to
29. erformance and stability of the chair may be effected 2 The battery charge should be checked before and after every session and if necessary the batteries charged 3 Any loose bolts or fasteners should be tightened The chair should be kept clean and free from grease and dirt 5 Battery terminals must be kept clean tight and coated with petroleum jelly Vaseline EN Electronic components 1 The DX System and Smart Controller should be regularly checked for integrity Loose damaged or corroded connectors or terminals or damaged cabling should be replaced 2 All switchable functions on the DX System should be regularly tested to ensure they function correctly 3 All system components should be kept free of dust dirt and liquids If necessary wipe with a cloth dampened with warm water or alcohol Do not use solvents or abrasive cleaners 4 Where any doubt exists consult Smile Rehab 5 There are no user serviceable parts in any DX System or Smart Wheelchair component do not attempt to open any case 6 Warning If any DX or Smart Wheelchair component is damaged in any way or if internal damage may have occurred for example by being dropped have it checked by qualified personnel before operating the chair Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and Safety 12 1 Safety warnings You must read and understand all the warnings throughout this handbook and heed them if in doubt ask Smile Rehab for advice Supervi
30. etting default values Muting Tool speech feedback Software version Smart Wheelchair Motion Tools Motion Tools Smart Wheelchair User Manual 1 1 1 2 1 3 2 1 22 25 2 3 2 4 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 2 4 1 4 1 4 2 4 2 5 1 5 1 5 2 5 2 5 3 5 3 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 1 Characteristics and functions of Motion Tools 6 1 Selecting separate go and turn Motion Tools 6 2 7 Integrating a computer or communication device to the chair Using the Switch Output sockets 7 1 Driving the chair with a computer or communication aid 71 2 Sending commands to the chair 12 8 Driving with the Scanner The Scanner box 8 1 Function of the Scanner and Scan Leds 8 2 Scan Leds 8 2 Visual Feedback using the Scanner and Scan Leds 8 3 Scanner Tools 8 4 One switch scan 8 4 Two switch scan 8 4 4 8 direction scan 8 5 Smart scan 8 5 Auditory Scanning 8 5 Setting scan speed 8 5 Setting number of scan cycles 8 5 Three switch scan 8 5 Three switch smart scan 8 6 9 Smart Wheelchair Bump Tools Bump Tools 9 1 No bump 92 Bump and Stop 9 2 Bump and Backoff 9 2 Bump and Turn 9 2 Bump and Choose Turn 9 2 Bump and Avoid 9 3 User chair Bump Control 9 3 Programming the Bump parameters 9 3 Bumper fault finding and adjusting sensitivity 9 4 10 Smart Wheelchair Line Follower Tools Line Follower Tools 10 1 Line Following On 10 1 Line Following with Junctions 10 1 junction Scanning 10 1 Safety Fence 10 2 User chair Line Control 10 2 Line Follower acc
31. everal reason why this may be happening Follow the table below to try and find the reason if you can t phone Smile Rehab OBSERVATION SOLUTION Is the wheelchair switched on Switch it on Are the wheels engaged Engage the wheels Is the Joystick on Mode 1 If not set to Mode 1 Is the speed turned right down Turn it up Is Scanning selected Turn scanning off Is Programme Mode on Turn Programme Mode off Has the chair just hit a bump Back away from the bump and try again Has the chair just hit a bump particularly hard Check the Safety Cut Out button has not popped out press it in Has the speed been altered with the Check and if necessary adjust it programming switch Switch on Motion Speech Does the chair say If yes and the chair does not move there is a I m going when the switch is pressed fault with the Smart Controller or the DX Power Module Contact Smile Rehab Is the switch light on the front panel coming on If yes then the switch is OK If not either the when the switch is pressed switch is faulty or there is a fault in the Smart Controller Plug a different switch into the socket If it works the switch is duff If it doesn t work the Smart Controller may be faulty Plug the switch into a different socket If it works the first socket may be faulty If not the switch or the Smart Controller is faulty Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and
32. f smarter computers than the internal one it carries round with it although we won t be describing this aspect in any detail here Smart Wheelchair User Manual An Introduction 1 1 What the Wheelchair does Mobility is fun exciting and motivating Being able to move opens up new opportunities for play and exploration Mobile children and adults are more curious active assertive and learn more effectively People with very severe physical communication sensory or learning difficulties have even more to gain from powered mobility because they have very few other ways to demonstrate their individuality and experience control Yet controlling a powered wheelchair is hard for many people with severe disabilities The Smart Wheelchair was therefore designed with several beliefs in mind 1 When you are learning a new and difficult task it helps to be able to share some of the load with someone or something else In this case your partner is the wheelchair 2 Some skills which you might use for communication purposes such as switching and tracking shouldn t have to be relearned for mobility purposes and vice versa 3 It should be possible to progress gently from simpler to more complex tasks as your skill level increases You can think of the wheelchair as an assistant which can take some of the load from you whilst you are learning to drive or communicate and which makes it simpler to transfer skills from one task to another You a
33. g the Line Speed Line Follower box and tape The Line Follower is a black box mounted on the front of the chair with infra red sensors which detect retroreflective tape The sensors work regardless of background light and don t care whether the line is on dark or light floor coverings whether carpet or lino Their function is to detect where the line is in relation to the chair so that the chair can follow it If the middle two sensors see the tape the chair goes straight If sensors to left or right come on the chair adjusts the heading to try and get back on line 50 yards of tape is supplied with the chair and more tape can be ordered from Smile Rehab The Line Detector plugs into the connector on the front of the Smart Wheelchair Controller Switch the power off before you connect the line follower Who might use a Line Follower The line follower might be considered for several reasons and for several groups of children First if a child has learning difficulties then using the chair with or without collision sensors may be too complex to understand in order to move around the child must have an idea of where they wish to go of the sequence of movements that will take them there and the ability to correct this plan if unexpected events like obstacles are encountered A line follower is much simpler to operate the child just needs to know that if he or she presses the switch the destination will be reached assuming that t
34. he line goes somewhere interesting and the child knows that A second use might be to motivate a child who seems unexcited by the wheelchair and bump tools possibly again for cognitive reasons One of the reasons for the child s lack of interest may be that he or she doesn t connect the simple movements of the chair with going anywhere useful or interesting the basic understanding of the use of mobility is not there By pressing the switch and travelling around the usefulness and hopefully motivation of mobility are experienced with the minimum of cognitive physical and perceptual demands on the pilot A third group are those children who have very limited physical control skills single switch Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 3 users possibly with unreliable control over a second switch Again while bump tools offer exploration in unstructured environments and limited functional mobility in structured environments a line follower enables the child to move from place to place without the need for supervision The final potential user group are pilots who do have good control skills but suffer from fatigue and cannot maintain a high level of control for long periods They could use the line follower like a bus which can be joined and left at any point to reduce the effort involved in moving around Discussion a comparison between Line Follower and Bump Tools It should be clear that the line follower has quite differen
35. heels are engaged with the motor as this acts as a braking mechanism to stop it moving around as you are driving Electronics and controls 11 12 13 Disconnect the charger before entering the chair Turn the speed to low before using the chair The DX Power Module joystick and Smart Controller must not be used in any way other than in the manner described in this manual All programmable options on the DX Power Module joystick and Smart Controller must be correctly adjusted for safe operation prior to use A warning must be conveyed to the wheelchair operator that the controller could cause the chair to come to a sudden stop In situations where this may affect the safety of the user this will require the fitting and wearing of a seat belt Performance adjustments to the DX Power Module should only be made by professionals of the health care field or persons fully conversant with this process and the drivers capabilities Incorrect settings could cause injury to the driver or bystanders or damage to the wheelchair or surrounding property Do not operate the wheelchair if it behaves erratically or shows abnormal heating smoke or arcing Turn the system off at once and consult Smile Rehab Do not operate the wheelchair if the battery is nearly flat as a dangerous situation may result due to loss of power in an inopportune place Ensure the controller is turned off when not in use 10 No co
36. ication aid to the Smart Controller via the RS232 socket This is wired up like a PC COM connector as shown below so you should be able to use a standard RS232 serial cable to connect your computer VOCA to the chair Pin 2 Rx Input to chair Pin 3 Tx Output from chair Pin 5 GND 9 way D type plug The chair transmits and receives RS232 data at 9600 baud 8 data bits 1 stop bit no parity with XON XOFFE handshaking Sending commands to the chair The table below gives the current set of commands which you can use to drive the Smart chair The commands consist of letters followed by a full stop to make the chair move forward for example you would send f to stop s and so on We are currently adding new commands which will let you use your computer or communication aid to programme the chair to move a set distance switch Tools on and off and programme speeds and distances Command Action If move Forward lb move Back ji move Left Ir move Right Ifl move Forward and Right Ifr move Forward and left bl move Back and right lbr move Back and left s stop If you want more information about driving the chair from a particular computer or communication aid contact the CALL Centre We can provide information on driving the chair using Clicker and other switch access programs on PC using speech recognition programs and using communication aids such as the DynaVox Smart Wheelch
37. ies plug the charger into the socket on the front of the joystick then plug the charger into the mains electricity socket Only use the charger supplied with the chair using a different charger may damage the batteries and or the charger The batteries should be charged in a well ventilated area as the batteries may emit gas prevent flames and sparks Switch on the mains and the three lights on the charger will come on briefly while the charger tests itself The Smart Wheelchair will also switch on if you want you can switch it off with the on off switch on the joystick and the batteries will still charge The red Mains On lamp on the charger will light and the yellow Charging indicator will light to show the battery is connected correctly and being charged When the battery is about 80 fully charged the Charging light will start to flash when the green Float Standby indicator comes on the battery is fully charged and ready for use Switch off and unplug from the mains before disconnecting the charger from the joystick Smart Wheelchair User Manual A Description 2 4 3 Smart Wheelchair Controller Smart Wheelchair Control Box The Smart Wheelchair Controller is the large black unit which sits on top of the wheelchair chassis The Control Dynamics DX Power Module PM that drives the motors sits underneath the Smart Controller at the rear The Smart Wheelchair Controller contains the brains of the wheelchair together with the spe
38. is type of fault the Smart Wheelchair will detect it when you power on and report it using the speech synthesiser If the Bumpers do not come on or are stuck on you can try and adjust the sensors by inserting a small screwdriver into the adjustment holes and turning the adjusting screws clockwise or anti clockwise If the fault is a non working bumper try turning the screw clockwise until the indicator comes on all the time Once you have reached this point turn the screw anti clockwise about a quarter turn and check to see if the bumper works If you can t adjust the bumpers so that they operate correctly contact Smile Rehab If the bumper is stuck on follow the same procedure except this time you turn the screw anti clockwise until the indicator goes off If the indicator doesn t go off contact Smile Rehab for help If you have successfully managed to adjust the bumpers try making small adjustments to the bumper so that the indicator comes on for about one to two seconds when a bump is detected Smart Wheelchair User Manual Bump Tools 9 4 10 Line Follower Line Follower Tools The Line Follower system also provides the chair with a number of different tools None Line Following On Line Following with Junctions Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools The chair ignores any tape it sees on the floor With Line Following turned on the chair will follow track on the ground In this mode the chair
39. l still operate with stuck bumpers but you will not be able to use the Bump Tools and they should be turned off on the ToolBox Both of the above conditions are reported by the Speech Synthesiser if you have it connected The chair stops and the red light on the Smart Controller comes on e means the Smart Controller has detected a fault and switched itself off Try switching off and on again If the fault repeats contact Smile Rehab The chair drives in different directions when press the forward switch You probably have Scanning Control switched on switch it off The chair chats away as though it s stuck in a loop and behaves strangely when switch on It has probably lost it s settings Switch off hold down Back and Stop switches and power up Then release the switches The chair should say Resetting Tools and Default values and behave normally If the chair keeps losing the settings it may be because the backup battery is flat if the chair has not been used for a very long time the battery will go flat and you should contact Smile Rehab for a replacement Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and Safety 12 5 The green light on the joystick flashes when you switch on e the DX Power Module has detected a fault in the system Switch the chair off wait five seconds and then switch on again The light will flash one or more times then pause and then flash again The number of times it flashes is call
40. lease the switch Auditory scan i With auditory scan the speech synthesiser will speak out the choices as they are offered This can be helpful for L gt visually impaired pilots or to help teach driving direction bee vocabulary Setting Scan speed The scan speed is set by turning the Scan speed knob on the Toolbox Setting number of scan cycles This setting controls the number of times the scanner cycles round before it stops and waits for another switch press Use the Programming Switch set Single Switch Scan turn the Scan Speed knob to select the number of Scan Cycles then press and release the Right switch Parameter User Control Motion Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob Tool Number of scan cycles Right None None Single Switch Scan and set cycles with Scan Speed control Three switch scan Three switch scan operates like two switch except that a third switch plugged into Left lets the driver scan anti clockwise as well as clockwise Smart Wheelchair User Manual Driving with the Scanner 8 5 Three Switch Smart scan With three swit Smart Scan the two turn switches act like momentary turn switches if the chair is movir but if it is stopped they scan the display It s a lot more intuitive than it soun nd control To turn Three Switch Smart Scan on or off use the Programming v ruble Switch scan and set Smart Scan ON press and release the Forwara the Back Switch to t
41. lf It lets the child gain maximum mobility for minimum effort and once the chair is moving the child is free to experience the movement without having to worry about stopping the chair The disadvantage of timed control is that the driver does not have control over stopping unless a separate switch is used plugged into the Stop socket Smart Wheelchair User Manual Motion Tools 6 1 Latched Latched control is for drivers who can accurately activate a switch but cannot hold the switch on Cause and effect of latched control is slightly more complex since the switch has two opposite effects We have found that few drivers use Latched turning so we recommend that the rotation Motion Tool is re programmed to be timed or momentary see next section Selecting separate go and turn Motion Tools Usually all switches use the same Motion Tool However it is possible to set up different motion tools for turning than for going forward and back For example a useful arrangement for pilots who can only operate one switch at a time is Latched Forward motion and Momentary steering the driver can press the Forward switch to start moving and then briefly press each turn switch to adjust the direction as he or she drives along Once the Motion Tool for turning is programmed it stays that way until you program it to a different tool or de program it The Motion Tool switch then acts only on Forward Back motion if you program turning to be
42. n certain events occur for example Oops I have hit something when a Bump occurs Found line when a line in encountered or I am going forwards when a forward command is given The Observer also uses the Scanner lights to give choices and indicate options There are several other reasons why we might want this facility e to provide reinforcing feedback when a user is learning to use the system In the early stages of use this is very helpful in explaining the chair s actions to a new user e as a first introduction to communication using an artificial voice e to encourage communication using voice output by choosing functionally useful communicative contexts and messages i e so that the user communicates not by selecting from a display although this would be the eventual aim but by driving the chair into the situations where the messages are generated e as a warning that the chair is moving for example if there are children with a visual impairment and or learning difficulties nearby The table below gives some currently stored contexts and messages Context and Event Message Forward Lam going forwards Back I am going back Left I am turning left Right I am turning right Stop I am stopping Bump and Stop Oops I have hit something Bump and Reverse Oops I have hit something I ll try to back off Bump and Turn Oops I have hit something I ll try t
43. nd the wheelchair share the work How much each of you does is up to you you can change your mind and take more control yourself or decide to hand over more responsibility to the wheelchair at any time The diagram below shows how the pilot uses the chair s facilities to gradually develop better driving skills whilst reducing the amount of control taken by the chair itself 2 CC 4 4 gt A Ry Oy B D fu Boar Es Mark De Qo Qs Ge age 4 Ge Ee nto ny btn K D Bs Dos gt Gy amp of A GA a On Q hy AA for o ee 2 lo A 4 O A NA KA My C2 GA D fo Y h O LE rei 100 Chair s control over motion Pilot s skill and control over motion 9 0 A ho o A Ay da A L in amp SS Le PG N x ss LS SI oo A Ce A S S ERO SS PLE S s GES KS oS BOOS FSS Xo SF VS S LEE OS OLS NES Sass 0 ES RS RS SES DSS NN SE OR oP F Coo SF KO Sars SLE SSE o SE Wty S eu s SO SS es Ses ee ve TIME Smart Wheelchair User Manual An Introduction 1 2 Who s running this thing anyway What sort of work might you share When you re driving a powered wheelchair there are several decisions to be made and tasks to be performed You have to decide where you want to go and what sequence of movements must be made in order to get there To actually make these movements you must be able to start stop and steer the wheelchair You might also have to try to avoid unexpected obstacles or get out of trouble if you do collide
44. ne b The ideal line crossing a A potentially confusing crossing b Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 7 Line Junctions The chair recognises a junction when three or more of the sensors see tape To detect a junction the chair must be following the line reasonably accurately without weaving otherwise it might miss the junction Here s how it works If the chair is accurately tracking the track the middle two sensors are on If the far right sensor detects tape as well the chair stops nudges forward a bit and then has another look If it can still see the line it offers Forward or Right If there is no line going forward it assumes that it has found a T or Y junction When you have the junction tool on and you want the chair to detect a junction it helps the chair recognise it if you have a small piece of tape leading in to the junction w Fr corners leading in the junction Leading into line junctions The chair recognises junction types a to f below but the most reliable type is the T e or Y a b c d e f At the moment it will not reliably recognise a cross road g if you need a crossroads try staggering the junctions so you have a left then a right junction in succession h Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 8 g h Use staggered junctions h instead of crossroads g If you are laying out a track where you want pupils to
45. ner you can plug in up to eight separate Leds for each of the eight directions In practice you might just want to plug in four Leds and attach them to separate switches Separate Leds are available from Smile Rehab or you can make up your own according to the instructions given below Smart Wheelchair User Manual Driving with the Scanner 8 2 D 5 Scanner Direction 9 pin D socket One or two LEDs can be Right connected Back right Direction The LEDs are driven by a 12v Back eg pin 1 sx source via a 470R resistor K Back left inside the Smart Controller Left Forward left 3 SA There is no need to use another Forward Ov pin 8 resistor unless you want to use Ov common Forward right low current LEDs 1 2 3 4 5 6 T 8 9 Many children will have difficulty with the concept of left and right etc so it can be helpful to colour code the switches and Leds and attach meaningful symbols to them You might use Green switch for GO Forward Red switch for RIGHT turn Yellow switch for LEFT turn Blue switch for BACK Green red and yellow Leds are readily available in sizes from 3mm to 20 mm the ones in the Scanner are 10mm Blue Leds are less common and are only available in 3 or 5mm sizes You can buy Leds from electronic suppliers like MPS or CPC see Section 13 Visual feedback using the Scanner and Scan LEDs Motion indication When thr v moves the appropriate Led direction indicator
46. nication aids User tools are connected to the chair via the sockets on the front panel for switches and Scanner or via the RS232 socket at the back of the box The chair s own sensing systems such as the bumpers and line follower are called System Tools The Line Sensors plug into the fron panel while the Bumpers connect to the rear and both are set up with the switches on the ToolBox Let s plug in a user tool first and see what happens Smart Wheelchair User Manual Smart Controller 3 2 4 Driving the chair with switches Types of switches You can drive the Smart Wheelchair with almost any switch provided it has a jack plug on the end Switches can be operated by hand head finger foot elbow tongue breathing in and out touch sound In most cases Smile Rehab or CALL will have recommended and supplied particular switches but as the driver s skills develeop you may want to introduce new switches or try different arrannements This is particularly true where the Smart Wheelchair is being shared between several pilots The chair has been specifically designed so that relatively non technical people can connect and try out different types of switches easily to connect a switch you simply plug it into the socket for the direction you want to move Connecting switches Ordinary single switches plug into the 3 5mm jack sockets on the SwitchBox at the front of the Smart Controller Multiple switches or switche
47. nnector pins should be touched as contamination or damage due to electrostatic discharge may result Most electronic equipment is influenced by Radio Frequency Interference RFI The Smart Wheelchair has been designed and tested to meet current standards for immunity from RFI but caution should be exercised with regard to the use of portable communications equipment If RFI causes erratic behaviour shut the wheelchair off immediately Leave off while transmission is in progress If the AC power lead on the battery charger becomes damaged the charger should not be used Report any malfunctions immediately to Smile Rehab Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and Safety 12 4 Troubleshooting The chair will not switch on e Check the DX cables are securely connected to the joystick Smart Controller and Power Module e Check the Safety Cut Out button on the right side of the chassis If it has popped out press it back in and try switching on again e Try charging the batteries first then switching on e If all else fails contact Smile Rehab The green light on the Smart Controller flashes when you switch on e If the light is flashing once a second the Smart Wheelchair is in programming mode turn programming mode off with the Program switch on the ToolBox e Flashing twice a second indicates that a bumper is stuck on which may mean the bumpers need adjustment see bump tools section on bumper adjustment The chair wil
48. nnel is not particularly important although the shallower the angle the tighter the chair has to turn 45 is probably a good compromise Note that the funnel joins the neck a little from its end this tail is needed so that when the chair goes through the neck to the far side it carries straight on until the line is lost If the tail was not there the chair would try to follow one of the funnel sides on the way out Leave a small tail at each end of the funnel for leaving the line about 8 10 cm gt Leave clearance to give the chair room to turn and follow the funnel lt H The funnel should cover the width of the doorway plus a bit enough to capture any wayward drivers Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 11 Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 12 11 Observer Speech Tool You are now armed with a set of tools that can allow you to drive your wheelchair while delegating other responsibilities to the chair but that can leave you with a problem how do you know when you re in control of the chair and when the chair has taken over the control itself For example you have your switch plugged into Forwards Timed tool selected and Bump and Turn on You bump into something and your chair stops backs off and turns who s done what The Smart Wheelchair has a tool which watches the operation of the chair and reports back using a speech synthesiser we call it the Observer The Observer will tell you whe
49. nse Latched None None Rotational deceleration Left Response Latched None e None Programming switch response Some people with tremor or other difficulties may hit the switch by mistake The input acceptance time sets the minimum time that the switch must be held on before the chair accepts it Some people will hit the switch several times by mistake after first operating it These extra activations can be rejected by increasing the post acceptance delay Smart Wheelchair User Manual ToolBox 5 4 Parameter User Control Motion Tool Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob Input acceptance time Stop Response Momentary None None Post acceptance delay Stop Response Timed None None Resetting default values On delivery the Smart Wheelchair comes set up with default values for all the programmable parameters If at any time you want to reset the chair back to these default settings switch the chair off plug switches into the Back and Stop sockets hold them on then turn the chair on The Observer will report Resetting tools and default values Muting Tool speech feedback You can stop the wheelchair reporting the tool selections when you make changes with the ToolBox To do this hold down the Stop switch when you turn the power on Software version Like all computer controlled equipment the Smart Wheelchair software program is continually being improved and developed When a new version is completed Smil
50. nues As we discover new uses for the wheelchair and add new features we will be issuing new versions of the Manual This can be quite confusing especially if you try to use an old version of the Manual or if you have to look through the new version to find out what is changed AS we introduce new information these will be given out as amendment sheets that can be inserted into the appropriate place and the old sheet removed if required Any comments or suggestions that you would like to see incorporated into the Manual will be gratefully received by Smile Rehab and CALL Have fun Smart Wheelchair User Manual iii CONTENTS The Smart Wheelchair An Introduction What is the Smart Wheelchair What the wheelchair does Who s running this thing anyway The Smart Wheelchair A Description The Smart Wheelchair The Smart Controller Power Module and Controls The Drive Wheels Seating Battery Charging Smart Wheelchair Controller Smart Wheelchair Controller box Switching on and off The chair switches itself off OK so what do I do now Driving the chair with switches Types of switches Connecting switches Choosing switches Switch connectors Smart Wheelchair ToolBox Adjusting Speed Adjusting Distance Adjusting Response Using the Programme switch on the ToolBox Programming speeds Programming veer Programming distance for Timed motion Programming chair response Programming switch response Res
51. o back off and turn left Encountering line Found Line Leaving line Lost Line Smart Wheelchair User Manual Observer Speech O The volume knob sets the speech volume The speech can be turned off completely by pressing the Speech switch on the ToolBox Speech Certain Observer messages can be turned on or off depending on what you require or how annoying they get The motion speech can be turned off with the Motion Speech switch on the ToolBox so the chair won t say I am gong forward I am stopping etc but will still report collisions or finding the line Programme Motion Speech The Programme switch is used to set speeds and distances use it with care and refer to Section 5 before you change anything The Observer also reports which tools have been selected when you turn on or when you change them This can be turned off by holding the Stop switch down when you power the chair on When you change tool settings the Observer won t report it To turn this reporting on again switch off and hold the Stop switch down again as you turn the chair on Smart Wheelchair User Manual Observer 11 2 12 Maintenance and safety Maintenance All the normal practices employed in looking after an electric wheelchair apply to the Smart Wheelchair General 1 The tyre pressure should be checked regularly The recommended pressure is 35 p s 1 If tyres are not correctly inflated the p
52. ome suppliers of switches and controls below It is worth obtaining their catalogues so you have a good idea of what is available CALL Centre University of Edinburgh Paterson s Land Holyrood Road Edinburgh EH8 8AQ Tel 0131 651 6236 http callcentre education ed ac uk Designers of the Smart Wheelchair Controls Dynamic Lisle Avenue Kidderminster Worcs Tel 01562 820 055 www DynamicMobility co nz Manufacturers of wheelchair controlllers and joysticks Dudley Controls Ltd 10 Peverel Drive Milton Keynes Bucks MK1 1NL Tel 01908 640777 Manufacturers of wheelchair controlllers joysticks and switches Cambridge Adaptive Communication The Mount Toft Cambridge CB3 7RL Tel 01223 264 244 www camad demon co uk Suppliers of switches and switch mounts communication aids access devices and software CPC Component House Faraday Drive Fulwood Preston Lancs PR2 9PP Tel 01772 654455 http www cpc co uk Electronic components good for cables adapters velcro and general components Inclusive Technology Saddleworth Business Centre Huddersfield Road Oldham OL3 5DF Tel 01457 819790 http www inclusive co uk Switches and switch mounts plus Mac and PC SEN software and hardware QED 2000 1 Prince Alfred Street Gosport Hampshire PO12 1QH Tel 0870 78 78 850 Suppliers of a very wide range of switches switch mounts interfaces and communication devices including TASH switches and Mobilia switch mounts SE
53. ore Bump and Choose Turn offers choices to the user over which direction to go after a bump Bump and Turn st be selected on the ToolBox for this tool to be on gram Bump and Turn for choices the following ag must be carried out 9 2 Parameter Tool User Control Motion Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch Switch knob Tool Scanning Bump Forward Bump and None Single Choices ON Turn ON Double Scan Scanning Bump Back Bump and None Single Choices OFF Turn ON Double Scan Bump a User Chair Bump Control pe s Bump J User Control Chair Control Standard Bump Tools are very simple and easy to understand and are good for games and early ration void is for pilots who want slightly better stv If the chair is going forward say a omething to the left or right the Tool way to avoid the obstacle If the chair n t on and the chair decides it can t be a selected Bump Tool Bump and Stop o ad The selected Bump Tools can operate under User or Chair control Chair Control the selected Bump Tool operates automatically i e for Bump and Turn it reverses and then turns by itself The chair ignores any commands from the user while it is manoeuvring User Control the distance reversed and or turned is controlled by the user s switch with whatever Motion Tool is selected This gives better mobility provided the pilot can control the backoff and turn di
54. reverse back to it until it says Found line If you cross the line very fast the sensors may not see the track at all but most line follower users will not be driving that fast Finding and joining a line Following the line The key fact to remember is that once the chair has found the line it will follow it unless a you tell it to leave by steering off or b the chair runs straight off the end of it as for leaving a doorway funnel Once on the line the chair moves at a limited speed while told to go forward or reverse the chair will also follow the line backwards but not very well like an articulated truck reversing with a drunk driver The Line Follower works with the motion tools as you would expect momentary timed and latched It also works with the bump tools although inevitably it changes the way they work a little With bump and stop the chair will stop on collision and allow you to back off or turn If you reverse the chair will go back along the line If you turn it will leave the line With bump and backoff it will stop and reverse back along the line With bump and turn it will stop back along the line and then try to turn off it whether it succeeds depends on the angle of turn you ve set Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 5 Leaving the line If the chair is following the line and the line suddenly stops it will stop and say Lost Line The user can either try to find it again by turning aro
55. sion Most Smart Wheelchair users will not be able to fully control the chair independently and safely if they could they would not need a Smart Wheelchair Although the bumpers line follower and other systems will assist the user they cannot prevent collisions happening Therefore the Smart Wheelchair pilot should always be supervised by a competent assistant who can stop the chair in potentially unsafe situations The Wheelchair must not be operated e near ponds lakes or other water masses e near roads e on steep or slippery slopes e near fires or similar hazards such as chemical or electrical laboratories or where heavy machinery is in use The Smart Wheelchair is an indoor chair It may be also be used outside but only on flat even and firm surfaces such as concrete or paved paths and patios Do not attempt to use the chair outdoors on rough uneven or inclined surfaces or on grass In case of fire First Preference is to move the child and chair The procedure is e switch off e unlock the rear wheels e push the chair out of danger Second preference is to remove the child Unstrapping might take longer but there are situations when the chair could not be pushed over obstacles Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and Safety 12 2 General use Treat the chair driver as you would a very young child thinking of all the hazards that might confront him or her Make sure the driver is always securely strapped
56. stances accurately Programming the Bump parameters The speed and distance or angle moved with the Bump Tools can be adjusted with the Speed and Distance controls They can also be set individually see below Smart Wheelchair User Manual Bump Tools Parameter User Control Motion Tool Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob Bump reverse speed Forward Speed Momentary Bump amp Backoff None None Bump turn speed Right Speed Momentary Bump amp Backoff None None Bump reverse distance Forward Distance Timed Bump amp Turn None None Bump turn distance Right Distance Timed Bump amp Turn None None Bump turn to left Left Momentary Bump amp Turn None None Bump turn to right Right Momentary Bump amp Turn None None 9 3 Bumper fault finding and adjusting sensitivity The bumpers are designed to take a lot of punishment but sometimes faults can develop The operation of the bumpers can be checked by monitoring the bump indicators on the Smart Wheelchair ToolBox panel Bumpers amp Turn amp Backoff amp Stop Off eo 0 LE ee a Rear bumper tube User control a Adjusting screw Bumper sensors When a bumper detects an object the indicator light up If you think one of the bumpers is not working you can test it by pressing the area you think is faulty and check the indicator comes on Another possible fault is where a bumper is stuck on the indicator is on all the time If there is th
57. stop e Stopping Shutting down fast use the OFF switch Weight and lifting 1 Do not try to lift the chair unless absolutely necessary it is very heavy If you must lift it get help from other people 2 Lift it by the steel bumper or bumper supports not by the rubber bumper tubing Do not try to lift the chair by holding on to the Smart Controller joystick switches or any other electronic component Do not lift the chair by cables or wires 3 Do not lift the wheelchair with the child in it Transporting the chair 1 The best way to transport the chair is in a van with wheelchair ramp or lift and special clamps or straps Check with the clamp manufacturer that the clamps are strong enough to hold electric wheelchairs Smart Wheelchair User Manual Maintenance and Safety 12 3 We recommend that the user does not sit in the Smart Wheelchair to travel use an approved seat and restraint belt If you wish to transport the user in the Smart Wheelchair check that the clamps can hold the chair and that the seat and seatbelts are approved for road transportation The chair can also be transported by car With an estate we recommend use of wheelchair ramps You may have to remove the seat from the wheelchair You can also fit the Smart Wheelchair into most hatchbacks provided the seating is removed first Take care when lifting it in use wheelchair ramps or lift the chair with three or more people Make sure the w
58. t is the Smart Wheelchair The Smart Wheelchair is an electric wheelchair with a computer based controller and special sensors which help the wheelchair pilot in three different ways e Firstly the Smart systems provide some safeguards for riders who cannot control the wheelchair completely independently The special bumpers and sensors do not make the wheelchair completely safe though responsibility for safety still lies with the pilot and his or her helpers and carers e Secondly the Smarts can help the rider control the wheelchair by taking over some of the responsibility for steering and avoiding objects until he or she is ready to handle the job The amount of work that the rider chooses to do and how much control is taken by the chair is decided by the rider and his or her carers This division of labour can range from 1 at one extreme total driver control of the wheelchair through the controls in the normal way to 2 at the other extreme allowing the wheelchair to decide where it is going with the rider merely demanding when to move and steering and stopping being controlled by the wheelchair e The wheelchair can also integrate with communication aids and computers the pilot can use the same controls to drive the wheelchair and operate another assistive device or even use the communication aid or computer to drive the wheelchair directly This same system also allows you to put the control of the wheelchair into the care o
59. t uses compared to the bump tools Line following can provide a means of independent functional mobility for quite severely disabled children who might find the bump tools too challenging Bump amp Stop and Bump amp Reverse are mainly safety tools usually the pilot will be reasonably capable of moving stopping and steering Bump amp Turn provides exploration in a different sense to the line follower and functional mobility for single switch users in certain situations such as games but again requires the user to have an idea of where and why they want to move The line follower makes fewer demands on children s physical cognitive and perceptual skills and so can be used by more severely disabled children It provides a complementary set of experiences to the bump tools while the bump tools give the child quite direct control of movement moving for the sake of moving because the actual motion and collision is fun the line follower takes more of the load and gives experience of mobility as a skill for moving around to where you want to be Expanding these ideas a little further we might class bump tools as get you out of trouble Sonar Bump tools using the experimental obstacle detection system which is still in development as help prevent you getting into trouble and line follower as stop you getting into trouble in the first place with corresponding implications for control demands and learning experiences There is consequently a dang
60. t will swing out from the tape and not follow it accurately it will still get there in the end but not exactly on top of the line It s best to try and lay corners no tighter than the one shown below 0 5m 0 5m Suitable corner section made up of two segments Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 6 Line Follower circuits In a classroom you might want a circuit of the room taking in various interesting stations These stations can be activity areas or different floor materials such as knobby man hole cover type things ramps grids or pressure pad switches connected to Mains Switchers Big Macks or toys In the school generally try to arrange circuits rather than single lines note that you can have the line going along corridors and into loops in rooms You can make sure the chair follows the line round the loop consistently assuming you don t want to choose at junctions by using layout a below because the chair tends to follow the path it is currently on Occasionally you might find the chair following the loop the wrong way round If you don t care which way round the loop the chair should go make the loop symmetrical layout b lt a Laying loops round a room b For crossings where you have the Doorway Funnel on and you want the chair to ignore the junction layout a shown below works best If the two lines cross at an acute angle there is a danger that the chair will follow the wrong o
61. ther set of user tools to do just that called Motion Tools These are to be found on a separate box called the ToolBox which we ll look at in the next section Choosing switches can be a hard complex process Don t expect to get it right first time When assessing for controls for the Smart chair we aim for a control scheme which is e accurate ideally the user should be able to start and stop motion accurately e safe the switch should not be activated by accident e extendible although you may start with only one switch you will be hoping the user will develop use of several switches or a scanning selector understandable there should be a clear link between the switch and the result at least in the early stages Some children with learning difficulties simply do not understand even after lots of practice how the small movements of a conventional proportional joystick can cause quite large movements of the chair However we have found that such children may learn how to drive using separate switches for forward back left or right or using a gated switched joystick where the cause and effect is clearer accessible obviously the control should be accessible to the driver Less obviously it should still be accessible when the wheelchair is moving and the driver shifting around in the seat and ideally the rider should be able to operate the control without having to search for it Switch Connectors Single switches 3
62. und or go straight on and leave it behind If Line User Control is on the pilot can also leave the line at any point just by turning off it If Line User Control is off the chair will ignore any instructions to turn right or left off the line Line Junctions The Line Follower will detect junctions like the ones below stop and offer a choice using the Observer and or Scanner about which track to take The pilot presses any switch to select a line and the chair will move on to the correct track and then stop and wait for a new command If you don t want the chair to offer choices at junctions select the line following tool and it will just carry straight on and ignore the junction Laying out a line Line Follower Tape The tape is quite sticky and reasonably robust Before sticking it down permanently it s best to lay it on the floor and try out the chair along it It might also be worth while sticking the tape down for a few days with sellotape blue tac or velcro until you re sure about the position As well as being annoying if you stick it down in the wrong place it s also quite expensive Give some thought to where you want the tape to go before you start laying Corners The line tape consists of straight and corner sections When laying through tight gaps keep in mind the obvious like the width of the chair You can make the corners as tight as you want and the chair will try to follow them but if you make them too tight i
63. uracy 10 2 Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Follower box and tape Who might use a Line Follower Finding the line Following the line Leaving the line Line Junctions Laying out a line Line Follower tape Corners Line Follower circuits Line Junctions Who might use a Doorway Funne Using a Doorway Funnel Laying tape for a Doorway Funnel 11 Smart Wheelchair Observer Speech Tool 12 Maintenance and safety Maintenance General Electronic components Safety warnings Supervision The wheelchair must not be operated In case of fire General use Emergency stop Weight and lifting Transporting the chair Electronics and controls Trouble shooting The chair will not switch on The green light on the Smart Controller flashes when you switch on The chair stops and the red light on the Smart Controller comes on The chair drives in different directions when I press the forward switch The chair chats away as though it s stuck in a loop and behaves strangley when I switch on The green light on the joystick flashes when you switch on The chair does not move when I press the switch The chair does not follow the line properly Suppliers Smart Wheelchair User Manual 10 3 10 3 10 5 10 5 10 6 10 6 10 6 10 6 10 6 10 7 10 7 10 9 10 10 10 11 12 1 12 1 12 1 12 2 12 2 12 2 12 2 12 3 12 3 12 3 12 3 12 4 12 5 12 5 12 5 12 5 12 5 12 5 12 6 12 7 12 8 12 9 vi 1 The Smart Wheelchair An Introduction Wha
64. urn it off then switch Programming off Parameter User Control Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob 3 switch Smart Scan ON Forward None Double Switch and Smart Scan ON 3 switch Smart Scan OFF Back None Double Switch and Smart Scan ON Smart Wheelchair User Manual Driving with the Scanner 8 6 9 Smart Wheelchair Bump Tools Bump Tools Suppose now that you want to delegate the responsibility for dealing with impacts to the wheelchair itself leaving you with just the task of deciding when to go or stop The wheelchair tools to do that are called Bump Tools The Bump detectors are mounted all round the chair Separate sensors at front back and sides let the chair sense the location of the obstacle The Bumpers plug into the Bumper socket on the back of the Smart Controller The bumpers are rubber tubes connected to pressure switches when the chair hits something the tube is squashed and the air inside operates the pressure switch The Bump sensors do not make the chair completely safe it is physically impossible to spot a 60 kg wheelchair plus rider moving even quite slowly before the rubber compresses and the metal bumpers contact Bumpers amp Turn Bump Tools allow the user to let the chair deal with any obstacle amp Backoff that might cross its path while the user is able to concentrate on amp De making it go Bump Tools can be used by independent drivers to help protect the user an
65. y only Forward Momenta afety None User chair Line Control User Control if the pilot wants to turn off the line at Line any point s he simply turns to the right or left until Follower the chair is free of the line Then the chair stops and User Chair m S Control P Control says Lost Line Svi Chair Control any instructions to turn off the line are ignored Line Follower accuracy When following a track the chair speed is limited to give reasonable accuracy The speed can be turned down below this maximum value and it is also possible to change the sensitivity and damping of the line follower If the chair seems to waver when following the line try turning the speed down a little Heavier users may need the line following speed increased a little Note that the chair will always follow the line at the set speed turning the Speed knob on the Smart Controller only effects the speed away from the line and has no effect when line following NOTE The Line Sensitivity is there to let us adjust the Line Follower to different types of wheelchair don t adjust it unless you re sure you really need to Smart Wheelchair User Manual Line Tools 10 2 Parameter User Control Motion Bump Tool Line Tool Scan Tool Switch knob Tool Line following speed Forward Speed Momentary None LineFollow On None Line following sensitivity Right Speed Momentary None LineFollow On None Programmin

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