{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:18:32Z","timestamp":1760145512883,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,25]],"date-time":"2024-07-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1721865600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)","award":["JPMJCR19A2","23H00485"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JPMJCR19A2","23H00485"]}]},{"name":"Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI","award":["JPMJCR19A2","23H00485"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JPMJCR19A2","23H00485"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We propose a hands-free control system for a human-guided smart stroller. The proposed method uses real-time peer-to-peer localization technology of the human and stroller to realize an intuitive hands-free control system based on the relative position between the human and the stroller. The control method is also based on functional and mechanical safety to ensure the safety of the stroller\u2019s occupant (child) and the pilot (parent) during locomotion. In this paper, first, we present a preliminary investigation of the humans\u2019 preference for the relative position in the context of hands-free guided strollers. Then, we present the control method and a prototype implemented with an electric wheelchair and UWB sensors for localization. We present an experimental evaluation of the proposed method with 14 persons walking with the developed prototype to investigate the usability and soundness of the proposed method compared to a remote joystick and manual operation. The evaluation experiments were conducted in an indoor environment and revealed that the proposed method matches the performance of joystick control but does not perform as well as manual operation. Notably, for female participants, the proposed method significantly surpasses joystick performance and achieves parity with manual operation, which shows its efficacy and potential for a smart stroller. Also, the results revealed that the proposed method significantly decreased the user\u2019s physical load compared to the manual operation. We present discussions on the controllability, usability, task load, and safety features of the proposed method, and conclude this work with a summary assessment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s24154828","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,25]],"date-time":"2024-07-25T11:43:44Z","timestamp":1721907824000},"page":"4828","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Peer-to-Peer Ultra-Wideband Localization for Hands-Free Control of a Human-Guided Smart Stroller"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"24","author":[{"given":"Xiaoxi","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Degree Programs in Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6204-9334","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yang","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8466-6405","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Modar","family":"Hassan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1736-5404","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kenji","family":"Suzuki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,25]]},"reference":[{"unstructured":"(2024, May 28). 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