User intent in a shared control framework for pedestrian mobility aids

This paper presents a novel approach to infer navigational intent of the user of a walker, based on measuring forces and moments applied to the walker’s handles. While there are many types of “intent” that could be inferred for a given user action, the experiments conducted here focused on the determining user’s navigational intent, i.e. their desired heading. Our experiments used two 6-DOF force/moment sensors on the walker’s handles and a digital motion capture system to correlate applied force with actual motion. Results revealed that the intent to turn, represented by changes in the heading angle, highly correlates with the overall turning moment around the vertical axis as well as the side forces applied by the user. Other force/moment components reveal additional information, such as support needs. The inferred user intent will be incorporated into a passive shared steering control system for the walker.