Beeper system for wheelchairs?

[Smark67]

Hi, does anybody know of a beeper system for wheelchairs, like they have in adapted cars, where you can use multiple functions on one button, each function operated by a certain number of beeps? It's just that I have quite a few peripheral buttons now for different functions but finding it difficult to have them all within the reach of my quite limited movement. Anyway, thanks in advance.
Mark

[martin007]

What do you want that for?

[Smark67]

Thought I explained it in my original post. Not really sure how to word it differently. :-)

[martin007]

Do you want a beep with the reverse gear?

[Burgerman]

No he wants it to beep to tell him what he has selected when there are multiple items in a list with a single button.

[woodygb]

I read it as 1 beep will operate X , 2 beeps given in succession will do Y .... etc etc .

[Smark67]

Yes, that's it. :-)

[Burgerman]

Dont know any way to do that.

[slomobile]

That should be possible to build with an Arduino.
I can work on it if you like.

A general library could be made, but each individual would need to configure with how many buttons, how many beeps on each button, and what kind of output on each specific beep.

Example:
Button A
Beep 1, toggle power to phone. open/close relay from charger.
Beep 2, open messaging app. Send via Android APK IO.
Beep 3, send GPS coordinates to caregiver. Send via Android APK IO.
Button B
Beep 1, toggle rock lights, open/close relay
Beep 2, turn on animated light strip sequence1, send sequence 1 to addressable LEDs
Beep 3, turn on animated light strip sequence2, send sequence 2 to addressable LEDs
Beep 4, blow a kazoo, toggle air compressor on for 4 seconds then off.
Beep 5, wipe glasses, operate servo squeegee back and forth twice to clean glasses.

There are a bunch of things that would need default values, but could be modified by changing the code.

Duration of beep, time between beeps, dead time before beeps, pitch of beep, minimum duration of valid button push, button debounce time, timeout for stuck button, emergency behavior if some button pattern regardless of beeps(mash all buttons, text caregiver GPS position).

[Smark67]

Hi there,

Not 100% sure if you are being serious or not (Beep 5, wipe glasses, operate servo squeegee back and forth twice to clean glasses) :-) but I'm guessing you are.

How much would something like this cost please?

My requirements are probably not that complicated, or numerous. Currently I would require it to operate (by way of a 3.5mm jack mini cup button):

- mode on/off
- left mouse click
- right mouse click
- open front door
- heater on/off
- extra function 1 (TBC)
- extra function 2 (TBC)

So nothing too drastic to go wrong.

Anyway, appreciate your further thoughts. Cheers, Mark

[martin007]

Aren't there simpler ways to point out a need?

[Smark67]

Aren't there simpler ways to point out a need?

Really not sure what the problem is. I don't know how I could have made it any simpler really. Luckily others understood.

[martin007]

Are you going to use the system yourself?

[Burgerman]

He says he doesent have enough movement or control to use lots of different buttons. So wants 1 super button that does everything. So yes.

[martin007]

He can't talk?

[Burgerman]

He already did. I am explaining what he said.

[Smark67]

He can't talk?

Again, not really sure what your problem is. As explained above (and corroborated by other people), can't really put it in any other way. I would like one button that could operate several devices by holding it in for a certain amount of beeps, each beep (or flash just to confuse things further) representing the function that is allocated to that amount of beeps (or flashes). :-) If you can't help or aren't interested in this, not sure why you are still commenting to be honest. Happy New Year! :-)

[martin007]

He can't talk?

Again, not really sure what your problem is. As explained above (and corroborated by other people), can't really put it in any other way. I would like one button that could operate several devices by holding it in for a certain amount of beeps, each beep (or flash just to confuse things further) representing the function that is allocated to that amount of beeps (or flashes). :-) If you can't help or aren't interested in this, not sure why you are still commenting to be honest. Happy New Year! :-)

Sorry.
I don't want to bother you.

[woodygb]

Not sure but ...I think Martin means SPEAK rather than TALK.... thus he maybe suggesting VOICE activation?

[daveonwheels]

Not sure but ...I think Martin means SPEAK rather than TALK.... thus he maybe suggesting VOICE activation?

no

[rickystyx]

I've never seen one for wheelchairs but a simple menu system shouldn't be too dificult for someone who knows what they are doing to set up. Thinking of the chinese chair I have which allows you to change the programming of the chair using the 8 battery lights on the joystick to show which value you are setting and another row of lights for the actual setting - the same system using bleeps and or lights could easily be set up just to change mode you are switching between on the chair system - it just needs programming into the system.
Bleeps, lights or a menue is only a way of communicating to you what mode the controller is in so that you know what you are changing - there must be someone who could design something like that.

[ex-Gooserider]

The only problem I see is dealing with the closed wheelchair control system... Even w/ R-net and it's programmability, I don't see how you easily get the chair electronics to understand what function each choice is wanted from the Arduino 'super-button'...

Only thing I could see would be to have separate Arduino output pins wired to each of the existing control inputs to in effect electrically push each button... That might work although it would seem awfully complex and clunky....

The super-button input side would be a lot simpler electrically, and probably wouldn't be that hard to program once you figured out the selection system (i.e. # of pushes, or how long the push is, or ???)

ex-Gooserider

[slomobile]

Not 100% sure if you are being serious or not (Beep 5, wipe glasses, operate servo squeegee back and forth twice to clean glasses) :-) but I'm guessing you are.

How much would something like this cost please?

My requirements are probably not that complicated, or numerous. Currently I would require it to operate (by way of a 3.5mm jack mini cup button):

- mode on/off
- left mouse click
- right mouse click
- open front door
- heater on/off
- extra function 1 (TBC)
- extra function 2 (TBC)

Servo control with an Arduino is fairly simple and cheap. So that could be a real thing if you need it. Servo, BEC(battery eliminator circuit), wiper mounted to servo horn, attaching hardware. The awkward weight on your glasses would be the problem.

Mode on/off, a dry contact relay closure, driver, and 3.5mm phono plug to joystick.
Mouse clicks could be Arduino bluetooth directly to PC. If it needs to go through Rnet it gets more complicated.
Open/close front door could be tricky mechanically. I need that myself so I'm motivated to solve that. Signaling from the Arduino to door hardware could be bluetooth or other depending on the required range. Probably need either another arduino and bluetooth at the door, or one of those bluetooth controlled relay modules like https://wheelchairghost.com/GhostApp.html
For what its worth, the first one I got from Amazon was DOA.
Heater on/off is a relay big enough to handle your specific heater current and a 595 darlington relay driver. Or a big mosfet driver.

I'll be distracted by getting Lenny's new system running for the near future, but I can answer questions and write code when prompted. Cost depends on chosen Arduino model and how "finished" the final product needs to look. Should be around $100 parts cost if you already have the heater and door hardware, and 1 month to 1 year if you do it yourself with local help for the soldering and construction bits. Depending on what the extra functions are.

I know myself well enough to say you do not want me 100% responsible for getting it done. I WILL get distracted and forget about it. In fact I already did and was reminded by seeing it come up on the forum again. But I'm always here and if you poke me in a PM now and then I'll work on it in spurts. I'm not interested in profit, just like making anything useful.

Just had the thought that rather than relying totally on you counting identical beeps/flashes, that each beep could be a different tone and the flash could be a different color on an addressable LED. That would add minimal cost/complexity but I think make it more user friendly.

There are even some text to speech chips that could speak the functions, but I suspect the novelty would wear off quick and not be worth the additional cost.

[Smark67]

Hi again,

I'm still not sure we are on the same page with you talking about it being possibly too heavy for my glasses. :-) I really just want/need something that can be operated by one push button, either micro cup or microswitch, which could then operate the various things I listed above in sequence somehow.

Cheers,

Mark

[slomobile]

We are on the same page.
I have a bit of code done already, working on timing and a problem where the tone generator and LED PWM want to use the same timer at the same time. Not a big problem, I'm still on it. But while searching online for a solution I came across something that could work better for many people in your circumstance. I'd like to work on it too, but I don't know if it is appropriate for your range of motion. I'd like to know if you think you can manipulate a haptic knob with a screen. This one https://youtu.be/ip641WmY4pA?si=iJ3R8tQJSI3V17b0

[Burgerman]

I think he wants something rugged/simple thats easy to mash a couple of times or 3 or 4 times to get a particular result. Without fine motor skills needed?

[slomobile]

Here is the Arduino code I'm working on for this.
It is incomplete, no output functions yet.
Untested, I don't even know if the program logic is correct.
At least it compiles.

I'll be on other projects now and I don't know when I can get back to this.
But leave feedback in this thread about any desired changes.
I wanted you to have something at least.

sequentialFunctionBeep.zip

Arduino Uno code

(5.45 KiB) Downloaded 12 times

[slomobile]

I think he wants something rugged/simple thats easy to mash a couple of times or 3 or 4 times to get a particular result. Without fine motor skills needed?

Hmm. That is slightly different than what I wrote, but it should be an easy change to make if that is what he wants.

This code waits for him to hit a button once, then it beeps up to 7 times.
It stops beeping as soon as he hits the button a 2nd time. That way he never has to push more than twice for any selection.

I just came across this little prop board with a motion sensor https://youtu.be/ms_yqQ7_NSs?si=mVMskeHd-_7IQ2GU
The motion sensor could detect his hand moving over the switch to trigger the start of the sequence. Then he would only need to push the button one time. And rather than beeps, he can prompt with any audio he likes.

Thoughts?

[ADI8421]

Hi, does anybody know of a beeper system for wheelchairs, like they have in adapted cars, where you can use multiple functions on one button, each function operated by a certain number of beeps? It's just that I have quite a few peripheral buttons now for different functions but finding it difficult to have them all within the reach of my quite limited movement. Anyway, thanks in advance.
Mark

What type of outputs do you want ? ie. a separate relay for each or open collector/drain type outputs etc ?
Do you want exclusive outputs or parallel type ?

You write up a specification and it can be done whatever your spec.

Cheers Jim

[Smark67]

Hi again, I'm not that confident in answering the technical questions (couldn't make sense of the zip file unfortunately), so apologies for that.
I have very little strength and movement in my hand and therefore looking for a soft touch button (I already have one of these actually with a 3.5 mm jack) which I could use to run through a sequence of beeps (or flashes I suppose) similar to what I had when I was driving back in the day, which was a 9 beep system which operated ancillary controls. So doesn't have to be rugged. :-)
Looking at the prop board motion sensor thing, it looks like it might be a little too sensitive and therefore maybe push button is the way to go.
Sorry I'm not being much more help than that, but thanks everybody for your input.
Mark