Autonomous wheelchair system

The University of Edinburgh seeks to procure an autonomous wheelchair system to support research in autonomous mobility. The system must be an off-the-shelf, commercially available, and maintainable solution capable of full autonomous navigation, with the following key requirements: 1. Base Wheelchair Requirements Motorized power wheelchair suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments Stable and ergonomic design to ensure safe autonomous operation Compatible with additional hardware/software for autonomous navigation integration 2. Autonomous Navigation System Sensor Suite: Odometry system for precise movement tracking IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) for motion sensing Lidar-based environment mapping and real-time obstacle detection Depth cameras for enhanced spatial awareness and localization Onboard Computation & Interface: High-performance computing unit capable of processing sensor data in real-time User interface (e.g., touchscreen or equivalent) for system interaction and configuration 3. Navigation Software & API Requirements Autonomous navigation software with the following capabilities: Mapping & Localization – Ability to autonomously generate and use maps of the environment Route Teaching & Execution – Manual input of custom paths and automated path following Obstacle Avoidance & Safety Features – Intelligent real-time navigation ensuring safe maneuverability Configurable & Extendable API Access – The software must provide a documented API allowing for: External control via custom-developed applications Real-time access to navigation and sensor data Integration with additional robotics frameworks if required The software must support long-term usability, allowing for custom modifications, additional research integrations, and future feature expansions. 4. Compliance & Maintainability The system must be a commercially available product, not a prototype or experimental development Must have long-term support and maintenance available in case of request from us Hardware and software should be upgradeable to support evolving research needs 5. Additional Considerations Additional components and consumables such as batteries may be required Solution must provide detailed technical documentation and demonstrate previous successful deployments