The Next-Generation Public Charging Infrastructure and Cyber-Information Network for Enhanced Inclusion and Independent Living of Power Mobility Device Users

Project Description:

A connected community is only as connected as its most vulnerable population. In the U.S. today, around 1.7 million rely on Power Mobility Devices (PMDs) – Power WheelChairs (PWCs) and Electric Scooters (ES) – for daily mobility. The PMD energy-related issues are among the top challenges singled-out by users and caregivers. The argument of this project is that the energy constraints and charging issues away from home are among the principal reasons for the limited mobility of PDM users.

Consequently, the goal of this project is to design, develop, and test a public physical charging network accessible for PMD charging. Within this project, our group is tasked to design and develop a charging module along with a smart energy monitoring hardware to track the energy consumption and the driving parameters of the PMDs.

Project Start Date: 06/01/2020

Project Due Date: 06/01/2023

Project Status: On-going

Project PI: Zeljko Pantic

Project Objectives:

1. Design and implementation of a switch-mode power converter (SPMC) wheelchair charger
2. Design and implementation of a data acquisition and sensing system that incorporates human-machine interface 
3. Design and implementation of a high-accuracy battery management system (BMS) along with battery characterization and modeling 
4. Design and implementation of an advances SoC estimator (SoC-E)

Project Collaborators and Sponsors: