CSUN’s Autonomy Research Center for STEAHM (ARCS) will, for this three-year project,
retrofit a motorized wheelchair (EPW) by equipping it with sensors and cameras, and adding a
socially intelligent robot health aid. The goal of this project is to upgrade an ambulatory device
to enhance mobility and community engagement, particularly for participants who need
assistance making behavior-based decisions while navigating outdoors or moving around indoor
environments where map-based navigation isn’t feasible. The objectives are to 1) define the
fundamental interaction designs that need to be present across the things participants interact
with in their daily life (health and non-health related), 2) explore the technical features most
useful to make the device user-friendly and accessible to BIPoCs (black, indigenous, and
persons of color) and their support system, and 3) validate if a behavior-based approach to
EPW design with robot aid encourages community engagement for homebound participants.
Anticipated outcomes include: 1) BIPoCs and their support system will develop greater trust for
working with smart medical devices and with the healthcare system, 2) retrofitted
wheelchair-smart robot devices will provide an affordable, more customized alternative to
current EPWs, 3) use of the EPW-robot will show a measurable increase in participants’ desire
to engage with their community outside the home, and 4) a sustainability plan will be developed
with mentoring from Medtronic. The expected products are increased participation for CSUN
student researchers and faculty to engage Medtronic and local health services for minorities
with disabilities, a retrofitted EPW and socially intelligent robot aid prototype, scholarly articles, a
public dataset for behavior-based navigation in underserved populations, and educational
resources.
