Furen Makers (China) | Brain-signal controlled smart wheelchair

Wheelchairs are perhaps the most easily recognizable free movement tool for people with mobility issues, but what happens when using a wheelchair is an obstacle in itself?

While wheelchairs provide enhanced mobility for millions of people worldwide, not being able to use one would certainly be a point of frustration. This is sometimes the case, as standard wheelchairs do not cover every type of physical limitation. Students of the Furen Makers, from Beijing High School No. 13, saw this gap in accessibility as not merely an obstacle, but an opportunity. Team members Chenyue Wang, Ziyang Ma, Qiuyue Wang, and Hewei Wen, guided by the principle that everyone should be able to use a wheelchair no matter their physical limitations, have created a brainwave-operable wheelchair. It is a concept that seems like something out of science fiction, but it is not. Rather, it is something out of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow. For the Furen Makers team’s efforts in developing this brainwave-controlled wheelchair, they have been named Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Ambassadors.

The Possibility of Wheelchairs Doing More

In particular, people with cases of ALS are more likely to have difficulty operating a wheelchair. It can be particularly frustrating, as well, since ALS of course does not affect the mind. So wheelchair users have a clear idea of where they want to go, but they may lack the physical ability to direct the wheelchair where the user wants to go, even if it has a joystick.

After discussing the social issues that stem from this problem, the team decided that it would create a wheelchair that can be controlled via brainwaves. From there, they upgraded standard electric wheelchairs to collect facial muscle electrical signals and brainwave signals and convert them into unified electrical signals. The result is control over basic wheelchair functions like movement, steering, and stopping. The wheelchair also comes with an automatic fall alarm, as well as a monitoring app developed by the team.

Due to its technically advanced nature, this project is highly ambitious. And with of course, because it is so technically advanced, there have been hurdles. Due to the limitations of brainwave sensors and the signal acquisition methods the team used, the acquisition accuracy was limited, meaning the brainwave signals captured were weak. Additionally, subtle changes in thought, emotion, or body movement did not register any meaningful change in the system, resulting in ambiguous movements of the wheelchair. However, the team has been steadily improving these systems, and they are enhancing the reliability of the chair while reducing signal interference.

An International Platform for Showcasing the Idea

The team already had their brainwave-controlled wheelchair in a good place, but at Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, they got a platform for showcasing their work. At the competition, the Furen Makers team received feedback and suggestions from experts, as well as the opportunity to present their project across languages and cultures. Recognizing the value that the program has brought them, the team is grateful for the opportunity to be involved with Solve for Tomorrow and is looking forward to carrying the project forward.

Independent Mobility as a Right

Currently, the wheelchair is in the patent application phase, having completed the testing and experimentation stages. To this point, the team has exhibited the chair at a number of competitions and brought it to various communities and welfare institutions. This has allowed them the opportunity to receive suggestions and feedback, which have further sharpened the project. The team aims to continue to refine the wheelchair, with the ultimate goal of providing people with disabilities a hands-free mobility solution that empowers them to live independently, rather than serve as an additional obstacle.

In the future, they hope the wheelchair can truly assist people with disabilities, helping them develop independent mobility and rebuilding their confidence. There is truly nothing more liberating than being able to go wherever you want without anyone’s help. In fact, it is a right. And with their brainwave-controlled wheelchair, the Furen Makers team hopes that they can instill this sense of independence in people and show that technology has the ability to transform people’s lives for the better.

The team believes that no matter what challenges you anyone faces, they should overcome them in order to create something truly great. “Believe in the power of perseverance,” they say. “Every trial and error brings us closer to success. As young people, we should use creativity and persistence to bring small yet steadfast changes to the world.”

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Ambassadors will be officially appointed at a ceremony held in Milan on Feb. 10-11, in conjunction with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Find out more about Solve for Tomorrow at [link].