Multimodal interface for alternative communication of people with motor disabilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas A. A. Rocha ◽  
Eduardo L. M. Naves ◽  
Yann Morére ◽  
Angela A. R. de Sa
Keyword(s):  
Multimodal Interface ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Motor Disabilities

scholarly journals Tracking and Classification of Head Movement for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems

Sensors ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 435
Author(s):  
Carlos Wellington P. Gonçalves ◽  
Rogério A. Richa ◽  
Antonio P. L. Bo
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Markov Models ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Functional Movement ◽  
Involuntary Movements ◽  
Motor Disabilities

The use of assistive technologies can mitigate or reduce the challenges faced by individuals with motor disabilities to use computer systems. However, those who feature severe involuntary movements often have fewer options at hand. This work describes an application that can recognize the user’s head using a conventional webcam, track its motion, model the desired functional movement, and recognize it to enable the use of a virtual keyboard. The proposed classifier features a flexible structure and may be personalized for different user need. Experimental results obtained with participants with no neurological disorders have shown that classifiers based on Hidden Markov Models provided similar or better performance than a classifier based on position threshold. However, motion segmentation and interpretation modules were sensitive to involuntary movements featured by participants with cerebral palsy that took part in the study.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems for the Motor Disabled

2016 ◽  
pp. 680-727
Author(s):  
Alexandros Pino
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Source Model ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Motor Disabilities ◽  
Symbolic Communication ◽  
Motor Problems ◽  
Software Lifecycle

This chapter discusses Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for individuals with motor disabilities. Motor disabilities do not only affect movement, but very often also affect speech. In these cases where voice is very weak, speech is unintelligible, or motor problems in the human speech production systems do not allow a person to speak, AAC is introduced. Aided and unaided communication is explained, and low and high tech AAC examples are illustrated. The ITHACA framework for building AAC applications is used as a paradigm in order to highlight the AAC software lifecycle. The same framework is also used to highlight AAC software design issues concerning component-based development (the open source model and the Design for All principles). Key features of an AAC application like virtual keyboards, scanning techniques, symbol dashboards, symbolic communication systems, message editors, symbol translation, word prediction, text to speech, and remote communication are presented. Finally, practical hints for choosing an AAC system are given and a case study of informally evaluating is cited.

Free Assistive Technology Software for Persons with Motor Disabilities

2014 ◽  
pp. 110-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros Pino
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Text Entry ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Motor Disabilities ◽  
Switch Control ◽  
Voice Control ◽  
Control Switch

Free assistive technology software can be an answer to various problems of the market, most importantly the products’ high cost. The focus of this chapter is on open source software and freeware available at online repositories like Raising the Floor, EmpTech, Adaptech, ATHENA, OATSoft, and Project:Possibility. The most important features and suggested information fields for each included application are presented, followed by a comparison of the repositories in the context of these features. Finally, brief descriptions and prominent examples of free AT applications are given in the following categories: augmentative and alternative communication, click helpers, content simplification, eye control, games, head control, joystick control, media players, mouse enhancers, on-screen keyboards, scanning, shortcuts and macros, stylus control, switch control, talking browsers, text entry, text readers, voice control, and word prediction.

Free Assistive Technology Software for Persons with Motor Disabilities

2015 ◽  
pp. 462-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros Pino
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Text Entry ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Motor Disabilities ◽  
Switch Control ◽  
Voice Control ◽  
Control Switch

Free assistive technology software can be an answer to various problems of the market, most importantly the products' high cost. The focus of this chapter is on open source software and freeware available at online repositories like Raising the Floor, EmpTech, Adaptech, ATHENA, OATSoft, and Project:Possibility. The most important features and suggested information fields for each included application are presented, followed by a comparison of the repositories in the context of these features. Finally, brief descriptions and prominent examples of free AT applications are given in the following categories: augmentative and alternative communication, click helpers, content simplification, eye control, games, head control, joystick control, media players, mouse enhancers, on-screen keyboards, scanning, shortcuts and macros, stylus control, switch control, talking browsers, text entry, text readers, voice control, and word prediction.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems for the Motor Disabled

2014 ◽  
pp. 105-152
Author(s):  
Alexandros Pino
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Source Model ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Motor Disabilities ◽  
Symbolic Communication ◽  
Motor Problems ◽  
Software Lifecycle

This chapter discusses Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for individuals with motor disabilities. Motor disabilities do not only affect movement, but very often also affect speech. In these cases where voice is very weak, speech is unintelligible, or motor problems in the human speech production systems do not allow a person to speak, AAC is introduced. Aided and unaided communication is explained, and low and high tech AAC examples are illustrated. The ITHACA framework for building AAC applications is used as a paradigm in order to highlight the AAC software lifecycle. The same framework is also used to highlight AAC software design issues concerning component-based development (the open source model and the Design for All principles). Key features of an AAC application like virtual keyboards, scanning techniques, symbol dashboards, symbolic communication systems, message editors, symbol translation, word prediction, text to speech, and remote communication are presented. Finally, practical hints for choosing an AAC system are given and a case study of informally evaluating it is cited.

scholarly journals Alternative communication systems for people with severe motor disabilities: a survey

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos G Pinheiro ◽  
Eduardo LM Naves ◽  
Pierre Pino ◽  
Etienne Losson ◽  
Adriano O Andrade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Communication Systems ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Motor Disabilities ◽  
Severe Motor

scholarly journals Monte Carlo Dropout for Uncertainty Estimation and Motor Imagery Classification

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (21) ◽  
pp. 7241
Author(s):  
Daily Milanés-Hermosilla ◽  
Rafael Trujillo Codorniú ◽  
René López-Baracaldo ◽  
Roberto Sagaró-Zamora ◽  
Denis Delisle-Rodriguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Motor Imagery ◽  
Uncertainty Estimation ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Motor Disabilities ◽  
Computer Interfaces ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
Severe Motor

Motor Imagery (MI)-based Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have been widely used as an alternative communication channel to patients with severe motor disabilities, achieving high classification accuracy through machine learning techniques. Recently, deep learning techniques have spotlighted the state-of-the-art of MI-based BCIs. These techniques still lack strategies to quantify predictive uncertainty and may produce overconfident predictions. In this work, methods to enhance the performance of existing MI-based BCIs are proposed in order to obtain a more reliable system for real application scenarios. First, the Monte Carlo dropout (MCD) method is proposed on MI deep neural models to improve classification and provide uncertainty estimation. This approach was implemented using Shallow Convolutional Neural Network (SCNN-MCD) and with an ensemble model (E-SCNN-MCD). As another contribution, to discriminate MI task predictions of high uncertainty, a threshold approach is introduced and tested for both SCNN-MCD and E-SCNN-MCD approaches. The BCI Competition IV Databases 2a and 2b were used to evaluate the proposed methods for both subject-specific and non-subject-specific strategies, obtaining encouraging results for MI recognition.

The Effect of Symbol Background Color on the Speed of Locating Targets by Adults Without Disabilities: Implications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Display Design

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1482-1488
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. Thistle
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
The Other ◽  
Background Color ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Display Design ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
Research With Children ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Perceptual Factors

Purpose Previous research with children with and without disabilities has demonstrated that visual–perceptual factors can influence the speech of locating a target on an array. Adults without disabilities often facilitate the learning and use of a child's augmentative and alternative communication system. The current research examined how the presence of symbol background color influenced the speed with which adults without disabilities located target line drawings in 2 studies. Method Both studies used a between-subjects design. In the 1st study, 30 adults (ages 18–29 years) located targets in a 16-symbol array. In the 2nd study, 30 adults (ages 18–34 years) located targets in a 60-symbol array. There were 3 conditions in each study: symbol background color, symbol background white with a black border, and symbol background white with a color border. Results In the 1st study, reaction times across groups were not significantly different. In the 2nd study, participants in the symbol background color condition were significantly faster than participants in the other conditions, and participants in the symbol background white with black border were significantly slower than participants in the other conditions. Conclusion Communication partners may benefit from the presence of background color, especially when supporting children using displays with many symbols.

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