A "lip reading" click device for disabled computer users

描述(申请人提供)：该项目旨在改善脊髓损伤(SCI)和其他不能使用标准计算机键盘和鼠标的人的生活质量和就业潜力。一些辅助产品，如头追踪器，适合控制鼠标指针的位置。然而，现有的产品在电话等活动中存在几个重大障碍。这是一个重要的问题，因为电话密集型职业对于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，对于这些员工来说，在鼠标指针位于正确位置时执行“点击”操作仍然是一项挑战。口部操作的设备，如吸管，会干扰打电话并导致疲劳。语音操作的点击命令会干扰电话交谈，并将不必要的注意力吸引到员工的残疾上。非常需要一种经济高效且不突出的点击式解决方案。该项目将提供一种更有效、干扰更少的点击式设备，它与电话耳机集成在一起。该设备将使用一种低成本、高科技的方法来观察某些表示点击的不显眼的嘴唇手势，大大减少用户的工作量，并消除用户残疾的显眼。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，以及通信、娱乐和远程控制设备的其他用户。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。该技术将精炼出执行“读唇语”功能的概念验证点击装置。概念验证将与一台计算机和一个标准电话耳机集成在一起。最后，将从一组将试用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.