A "lip reading" click device for disabled computer users

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目旨在改善脊髓损伤（SCI）和其他无法使用标准计算机键盘和鼠标的个人的生活质量和就业潜力。一些辅助产品，如头部跟踪器，适合控制鼠标指针的位置。然而，现有的产品在诸如在电话上工作的活动中存在几个显著的障碍。这是一个重要的问题，因为电话密集型职业对行动不便的人来说是一个重要的、不断增长的就业机会。最值得注意的是，当鼠标指针在正确的位置时执行“单击”操作对这些员工来说仍然是一个挑战。用嘴操作的设备，如吸口吸管，会干扰通话，导致疲劳。语音操作的点击命令干扰电话交谈，并引起不必要的注意，雇员的残疾。存在对具有成本效益且不引人注目的点击解决方案的显著需求。这个项目将提供一个更有效的，更少的侵入点和点击设备，是与电话耳机集成。该设备将使用低成本，高科技的方法来观察某些不显眼的嘴唇手势，表明点击，大大减少了用户的努力，并消除了用户的残疾的显眼。除了最初的电话相关应用外，该设备还将适用于许多其他计算机用户，以及通信、娱乐和遥控设备的其他用户。在第一阶段，潜在用户和治疗师将帮助完善设备的要求和概念设计。执行“唇阅读”功能的技术将被完善，以创建概念验证点击设备。概念验证将与计算机和标准电话耳机集成。最后，性能和用户印象数据将从一组潜在用户那里收集，这些用户将试用概念验证设备。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project aims to improve the quality of life and employment potential for spinal cord injured (SCI) and other individuals who cannot use a standard computer keyboard and mouse. Some assistive products, such as head trackers, are suitable for controlling the position of the mouse pointer. However, existing products present several significant obstacles in activities such as working on a telephone. This is a significant issue, because telephone-intensive careers are an important and growing employment opportunity for people with limited mobility. Most notably, performing a "click" action when the mouse pointer is at the right place remains a challenge for these employees. Mouth-operated devices, such as a sip-and-puff straw, interfere with talking on the phone and lead to fatigue. Voice-operated clicking commands interfere with telephone conversations and draw unwanted attention to the employee's disability. A significant need exists for a cost-effective and unobtrusive point and click solution. This project will provide a more effective, less intrusive point-and-click device that is integrated with a telephone headset. The device will use a low-cost, high-tech approach to watch for certain unobtrusive lip gestures that indicate clicks, significantly reducing the effort on the part of the user and eliminating conspicuousness of the user's disability. In addition to the initial telephone-related application, this device will also be applicable for many other computer users, as well as for other users of communication, entertainment, and remote-control equipment. In Phase I, potential users and therapists will help to refine the requirements and the conceptual design of the device. The technology to perform the "lip reading" function will be refined to create a proof of concept click device. The proof of concept will be integrated with a computer and a standard telephone headset. Finally, performance and user impressions data will be gathered from a group of potential users who will try out the proof of concept device.