Hand Gesture Recognition Wheelchair with Mecanum Wheels

1. Wheelchair users often struggle to navigate out of tight spaces like elevators due to the limitations of traditional square wheels, which hinder rotation. The integration of Mecanum wheels allows for omnidirectional movement, enabling the wheelchair to move up, down, left, right, and diagonally without rotating the body, greatly enhancing maneuverability.

2. By utilizing the Mediapipe library, the wheelchair can recognize hand gestures. This allows for autonomous driving along predetermined paths based on the recognized hand shapes, enabling users to navigate without using both hands.

3. Ultrasonic sensors detect distances to identify obstacles. If the detected distance falls within a certain range, the system determines there is an obstacle and stops the wheelchair to prevent collisions, ensuring user safety and preventing damage to obstacles.

Due to mobility restrictions, disabled individuals often face challenges in accessing education and employment, leading to low-paying jobs. This invention aims to alleviate mobility constraints, improving working conditions and wages for disabled workers. Manual wheelchair users frequently suffer shoulder injuries due to constant shoulder use, resulting in muscle fatigue and imbalance. This invention reduces shoulder movement, minimizing shoulder injuries and related medical costs.

Traditional wheelchairs with square wheels require extensive movement to shift diagonally or sideways. However, with Mecanum wheels, this invention allows free movement in any direction without rotating the wheelchair. Unlike conventional navigation systems that rely on voice or touch, this invention uses hand gesture recognition, enabling route navigation for users with hearing, speech, or physical impairments who struggle with touch or voice controls.