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What is the Smart Wheelchair?
The CALL Centre Smart Wheelchair can be driven by almost anyone, including pupils with moderate through to profound learning difficulties, even when accompanied by severe physical or sensory impairments.
The Smart Wheelchair is designed with two things in mind. Using its special tools and sensors, even someone who can only just operate a single switch is given opportunities for a degree of independent mobility.
Secondly, the pupil has access to a wider curriculum, enhancing motivation, increasing opportunities for learning and improving opportunities for interacting with people. For example, the pupil can be involved in a colour finding game, requiring skills in listening, sequencing or problem solving.
 Input Devices
Teachers begin by considering which adaptive technologies might best suit the pupil's assessed interests and abilities. Some riders cannot use standard joysticks to drive the chair, and require specially adapted joysticks. Instead of a joystick many types of switches can be used to drive the chair, allowing the chair to be tailored to suit the individual needs of its rider.
It takes time to learn to drive any wheelchair. Pupils with severe disabilities need to develop skills at their own pace.
Introducing the Smart Wheelchair to the Pupil
Careful consideration needs to be given to how best to introduce a powered wheelchair to any pupil. A familiar adult can be used to introduce the pupil to the chair. For example the pupil’s teacher can demonstrate the chair by first sitting in it herself, encouraging the pupil to feel safe. Next, she gets the chance to sit on the lap of someone she trusts. Only then would the pupil be given the chance to sit independently on the chair.
Most pupils’ first experience of controlling the chair is by a single switch. In these early stages of learning, it helps to set the chair to move forward for a short but fixed period of time. When the switch is pressed the chair moves forward and then stops.
Better control is achieved with momentary activation. The pupil can then make the chair go and, by releasing the switch, stop the chair when preferred. Some pupils eventually learn to use several switches or even a joystick and can have full control over the chair.
Some pupils benefit from having extra forms of assistance. Sensing tools can complement the rider’s early control skills. Specially adapted bumpers help protect the chair, the user and the environment. As well as simply stopping at the obstacle, the chair can be set to stop and back-off; or even to stop, reverse and turn away from the obstacle.
Using bump tools, the pupil can share driving with the Smart schair. When sharing control, the rider needs to be informed of progress. The Smart chair's built in speech synthesiser can be set to provide feedback to the pupil on the chair’s actions.
The Smart chair can also follow tracks taped to the floor. This allows a pupil to navigate through doorways, or go on a drive round the school in safety, and independently.
Participating in a group can lead to shared and co-operative learning experiences, key elements of the 5-14 Curriculum. Using the Smart Wheelchair, minimum physical abilities can still be rewarded with maximum success.
By integrating the use of toys, switches and specialised interfaces within the curriculum framework, pupils are afforded increased opportunities for early learning, leading to enhanced participation, independent control and active involvement in their learning.
Read more information about CALL Smart Wheelchair
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