# BCI-Controlled Hands-Free Wheelchair Navigation with Obstacle Avoidance

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.04209 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.04209/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 8 May 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [A Domain-Informed Multi-Objective Framework for EEG Channel Selection in Motor Imagery BCIs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.29943/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Brain-Computer interfaces (BCI) are widely used in reading brain signals and converting them into real-world motion. However, the signals produced from the BCI are noisy and hard to analyze. This paper looks specifically towards combining the BCI's latest technology with ultrasonic sensors to provide a hands-free wheelchair that can efficiently navigate through crowded environments. This combination provides safety and obstacle avoidance features necessary for the BCI Navigation system to gain more confidence and operate the wheelchair at a relatively higher velocity. A population of six human subjects tested the BCI-controller and obstacle avoidance features. Subjects were able to mentally control the destination of the wheelchair, by moving the target from the starting position to a predefined position, in an average of 287.12 seconds and a standard deviation of 48.63 seconds after 10 minutes of training. The wheelchair successfully avoided all obstacles placed by the subjects during the test.