[GamerThom]

I am getting a new electric wheelchair at the end of February 2006 (been using a manual til now).
Does anyone have any ideas on how I can modify the chair with a Main Board possibly from an
old laptop w/battery power option, a small HD and minidisc to the joystick control circuits of the
chair and then install and configure an AI for voice command/control of the joystick functions.
Any ideas or suggestions would be welcome.


Maybe FuzzieDice could contribute a KITT persona for the AI.
LOL. An electric wheelchair that thinks it's a TransAm. 

[Freddy]

I think FD could be your best bet, I daren't attempt even suggesting anything in case I sent you into orbit or something  :zdg_whistle , if I come across anything I think you might find useful I'll post it on here though.

[GamerThom]

Go ahead Freddy, any suggestions may help me lay the groundwork.    :zdg_flag_nowork

[FuzzieDice]

Nice project. I got your email. I'll answer there, though I don't think I can be of help because I haven't even started working on the KITT AI project (just no time at all for anything theese days) and when I started it, it was with the old HAL 5. Now HAL 6 doesn't learn from text  files so I basically have to start at square one again. And I'm still on square zero at the moment.

However, you might want to google for the ER-1 Robot project, which is a robot frame driven by a laptop computer. This you might want to look into and maybe adjust to your needs.

I remember Stephen Hawkings has a setup with a computer and speech synth. I don't know if you can get ahold of him or maybe his agents, and maybe get some info on that as well, or at least where he got his done, etc. There may be some free university or other research parties that can help you out with the design and all that.

And to have an AI wheelchair, THAT is an EXCELLENT idea! Please keep us posted on this project. This can well be a very useful and good thing.

I'll email you more ideas...

[GamerThom]

Thanks for the input Fuzzie. A lot of the design work I'll be doing myself, ie: the wiring
schematics, mechanical layouts of the components, and installation of them
(with a bit of help).                                  Where I'll be having a  ---------------------------------:zdg_banghead
is with the programming. My programming knowledge is about 20 years or so
out of date: BASIC & FORTRAN. My training is more in the line of design;
mechanical, electrical, CAD/CAM, plus I used to be pretty good with my hands.
Practical applications of my work. Not to mention Fine & Graphic Arts.
   I won't really be able to get into designing the physical component layouts
until i get my hands on the chair and see what kind of crap they're giving me
to try and work with.  Whether it's 2, 4 or 6 servo-motors and the type and
configuration of the joystick hardware, connections and such. I know it runs on
 2 - 12 volt car type batteries and that's about all, right now.
Until then I just have no idea what I'll have to work with. If pssible I'd also like to try
incorporating an ROV type remote radio controller into the deal, that would
most likely be the easy part.

[Freddy]

Here's a few links that look promising:

Accessories for

A Design Breakdown

Robotic parts and controls

[GamerThom]

It looks like I'm going to have to shelve this idea, indefinitely. The required components,
the number & cost of them just does'nt fit into what I can afford right now. Thanks for all
the info though. I'll still work on perfecting the designs on paper, just in case I am able
to implement them sometime in the future. Will publish the designs when I have them
completed, along with a breakdown of the software and hardware required.