Turkish university students build autonomous wheelchair

By Hikmet Faruk Baser

ISTANBUL (AA) - Students at a major technical university in Turkey developed an autonomous wheelchair to improve accessibility of people with walking disability.

After three years of efforts under the guidance of Volkan Sezer, a faculty member specialized in control and automation engineering, the team at Istanbul Technical University built the voice-command wheelchair.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the wheelchair is able to safely take its user to their destination without hitting any obstacles that may lie on its path, Sezer told Anadolu Agency.

The wheelchair makes all the necessary decisions while on its way, monitoring its environment and planning its route by constantly analyzing potential dangers, he expressed.

Sezer also noted that the project was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (Tubitak).

It also received an award from the Turkish Family, Labor and Social Services Ministry.

*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun