WIRELESS TRACKING OF TONGUE MOVEMENTS FOR WHEELCHAIR CONTROL AND COMPUTER ACCESS

问题陈述：在所有年龄组中，残疾人的数量都在增加，尤其是老年人（65岁以上），他们目前占美国人口的12%。由于脊髓损伤、中风、脑瘫和肌萎缩侧索硬化症等各种原因导致严重残疾的人发现，如果没有持续的帮助，他们很难完成日常任务。尽管有各种各样的辅助技术（AT）可用于残疾程度较低的个人，但上述人群仍然被认为服务不足，如果有更多的选择，特别是在利用可适应的辅助技术（AT）方面，可以利用他们可能拥有的任何剩余能力，他们将受益匪浅。我们的目标是帮助那些上肢功能有限或完全没有功能的人改善他们的生活质量，使他们能够控制环境，驾驶电动轮椅（PWC），并通过简单地移动舌头来访问电脑。智力优势：这项研究的主要目的是开发一种不引人注目的、微创的、低成本的无线AT，称为“舌头驱动”系统（TDS），它有可能取代四肢瘫痪患者的一些手臂和手的功能。从概念上讲，TDS由一组位于口腔内、正畸支架（内部版本- iTDS）或口腔外、安装在耳机（外部版本- eTDS）上的小型磁传感器组成。传感器阵列可以测量一个米粒大小的小型永磁体的磁场，该永磁体通过组织粘合剂、植入、穿刺或夹住的方式附着在舌头上。传感器信号通过无线传输到用户佩戴的外部超便携电脑上。对接收到的数据进行处理，以实时确定磁体相对于传感器阵列的坐标、方向和相对运动。然后，这些信息被用来控制PC屏幕上光标的移动，并执行所有其他可以用鼠标指针或操纵杆完成的功能。TDS的主要优点是，几个磁性传感器和一个固有的无线永磁体可以捕获无限数量的舌头运动，每一个动作都可以代表一个特定的用户命令。一套专门的舌头动作可以根据每个用户的喜好、生活方式和剩余能力量身定制，并映射到一套针对计算机、普华永道和环境访问的定制功能上。因此，TDS可以提供高度的适应性，并覆盖具有不同残疾程度的大量用户。此外，TDS有可能为其用户提供比例控制，这使得在拥挤和受限的空间中操纵PWCs变得更加容易。本研究还包括对TDS的有效性、可用性和用户可接受性进行全面评估。更广泛的影响：我们打算帮助最严重的残疾人过积极的、自我支持的、满意的、富有成效的生活，与社会其他成员平等。瘫痪被认为是最昂贵的残疾之一。诸如TDS之类的解决方案可以帮助降低医疗保健和辅助生活成本，提高残疾人的就业能力，并允许用户更充分地参与社会，同时减轻他们的家庭成员或专职照顾者的负担。教育计划：PI的主要教育目标是通过利用拟议研究的“多学科”性质来激发本科生和研究生的兴趣。将通过高级设计和校长本科生研究奖（PURA）招募本科生参与TDS图形用户界面的开发。一名研究生也将参与拟议的研究，开发TDS硬件和传感器信号处理算法，并帮助进行人体试验。

PI: Ghovanloo, MaysamProposal Number: 0828882Problem Statement: The number of people with disabilities is increasing among all age groups, especially the elderly (+65) who currently comprise 12% of the U.S. population. Individuals severely disabled as a result of various causes from spinal cord injuries to stroke, cerebral palsy, and ALS find it extremely difficult to carry out everyday tasks without continuous help. Despite the wide variety of assistive technologies (AT) available for individuals with lower levels of disabilities, the above population is still considered underserved, and would greatly benefit from having more choices, particularly in utilizing adaptable ATs that can take advantage of whatever remaining capabilities that they might have. We intend to help individuals with little or no upper extremity functions to improve their quality of life by enabling them to control their environment, drive their powered wheelchair (PWC), and access computers by simply moving their tongue. Intellectual Merits: The main purpose of the proposed research is to develop an unobtrusive, minimally invasive, low cost, and wireless AT called the 'Tongue Drive' system (TDS), which can potentially substitute some of the arm and hand functions in people with quadriplegia. Conceptually, the TDS consists of an array of small magnetic sensors located inside the mouth, on an orthodontic brace (internal version - iTDS), or outside of the mouth, mounted on a headset (external version - eTDS). The sensor array measures the magnetic field of a small permanent magnet, the size of a grain of rice, which is attached to the tongue by means of tissue adhesives, implantation, piercing, or clipping. The sensor signals are transmitted wirelessly to an external ultra-portable PC, which is worn by the user. The received data is processed to determine the coordinates, orientation, and relative motion of the magnet with respect to the array of sensors in real time. This information is then used to control the movements of a cursor on the PC screen, and to perform all other functions that can be done with a mouse pointer or a joystick. The principal advantage of the TDS is that a few magnetic sensors and an inherently wireless permanent magnet could potentially capture an unlimited number of tongue movements, each of which can represent a specific user command. A set of dedicated tongue movements could be tailored for each individual user based on his/her preferences, lifestyle, and remaining abilities, and mapped onto a set of customized functions for computer, PWC, and environmental access. Thus, TDS can offer a high degree of adaptability and cover a large group of users with different levels of disabilities. In addition, the TDS has the potential to provide its users with proportional control, which makes it a lot easier to maneuver PWCs in crowded and confined spaces. This research also involves a thorough evaluation of the TDS efficacy, usability and user acceptability.Broader Impacts: We intend to help the most severely disabled individuals to live active, selfsupportive, satisfying, and productive lives, equal to the other members of the society. Paralysis is considered to be one of the most expensive types of disabilities. Solutions such as the TDS could help reduce healthcare and assisted-living costs, increase the employability of people with disabilities, and allow users to participate more fully in the society, while relieving their family members or dedicated caregivers.Educational Plan: The PI's main educational objective is to stimulate the interests of undergraduate and graduate students by taking advantage of the 'multidisciplinary' nature of the proposed research. Undergraduates will be recruited through senior design and presidential undergraduate research award (PURA) to participate in development of the TDS graphical userinterface. A graduate student will also be involved in the proposed research by developing the TDS hardware and sensor signal processing algorithms as well as helping with human trials.