In this paper, an efficient real-time control architecture for autonomous navigation of powered wheelchair is developed. Since an advanced intelligent wheelchair requires real-time performance, the control software architecture of powered wheelchair is developed under Linux real-time extension Real-time Application Interface (RTAI). A hierarchical control structure for autonomous navigation is designed and implemented using real-time processe and interrupts handling of sensory perception based on slanted surface LRF, emergency handling capability, and motor control with 0.1 msec sampling time. The performance of our powered wheelchair system with the implemented control architecture for autonomous navigation is verified via experiments in a corridor.