A "lip reading" click device for disabled computer users

项目描述（由申请人提供）：本项目旨在改善脊髓损伤（SCI）和其他不能使用标准电脑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，现有的产品在诸如使用电话之类的活动中存在一些重大障碍。这是一个重要的问题，因为对行动不便的人来说，电话密集型职业是一个重要的、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。口控设备，如吸口吸管，会干扰打电话，导致疲劳。语音操作的点击命令会干扰电话交谈，并引起人们对员工残疾的不必要关注。对于具有成本效益且不引人注目的点按式解决方案，存在着巨大的需求。该项目将提供一种更有效、更少干扰的与电话耳机集成的点击式设备。该设备将采用一种低成本、高科技的方法来观察某些不显眼的唇形手势，这些手势表示点击，大大减少了用户的努力，消除了用户残疾的显著性。除了最初与电话有关的应用外，该设备还将适用于许多其他计算机用户，以及其他通信、娱乐和遥控设备用户。在第一阶段，潜在的使用者和治疗师将帮助完善设备的要求和概念设计。执行“唇读”功能的技术将被改进，以创建一个概念验证点击设备。概念验证将与计算机和标准电话耳机集成在一起。最后，将从一组尝试概念验证设备的潜在用户那里收集性能和用户印象数据。

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.