Journal of Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energies Development
Volume 2, Numéro 2, Pages 45-53
2026-07-12
Design And Experimental Evaluation Of A Wireless Head-gesture Controlled Smart Wheelchair For Assistive Mobility
Authors : Belaidi Belaid . Hadjaj Fatima . Belhadj Mohamed . Sayed Boumedien . Himouri Abdelbaset .
Abstract
This paper presents the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of a wireless head-gesture controlled smart wheelchair intended to enhance mobility assistance for individuals with severe motor impairments. The proposed system offers an alternative navigation interface for users who are unable to operate conventional joystick-based electric wheelchairs due to limited upper-limb functionality. Head movements are detected using an MPU6050 inertial measurement unit integrated with an Arduino Nano transmitter, while motion commands are transmitted wirelessly via HC-05 Bluetooth modules to a receiver unit responsible for motor control and navigation. To improve command reliability and reduce the influence of involuntary head movements, a moving-average filtering technique combined with threshold-based gesture validation is implemented. The system further incorporates a dual-mode control strategy that enables seamless switching between head-gesture navigation and conventional joystick operation, thereby increasing usability and operational flexibility. For enhanced safety, an ultrasonic obstacle detection module is integrated through a hardware interrupt mechanism capable of immediately overriding motion commands whenever an obstacle is detected within a predefined safety distance. The main contributions of this work include the development of a low-cost wireless control architecture, the integration of dual-mode operation for improved user adaptability, and the implementation of an interrupt-driven safety mechanism for real-time obstacle avoidance. Experimental evaluation demonstrates a gesture-recognition accuracy of 98% and an average system response time of approximately 240 ms, confirming stable and near real-time performance under indoor operating conditions. By employing widely available and affordable embedded hardware components, the proposed wheelchair represents a practical, reliable, and cost effective assistive mobility solution with significant potential for supporting individuals with severe physical disabilities in everyday environments.
Keywords
Head-Gesture Control, Smart Wheelchair, Assistive Mobility, Bluetooth Communication, Ultrasonic Obstacle Detection, Dual-Mode Control.
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