Automatic Positioning of Communication Devices and other Essential Equipment for People with Mobility Restrictions

为行动不便的人自动定位通信设备和其他必需设备

• 批准号: 9750520
• 负责人: Dianne Goodwin
• 金额: $ 50.79万
• 依托单位: BLUE SKY DESIGNS, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-08-01 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9750520
• 关键词: Address; Advanced Development; Algorithms; Area; Articular Range of Motion; Beds; Caring; Cerebral Palsy; Communication; Computer Vision Systems; Computers; Custom; Data; Dependence; Development; Devices; Diagnosis; Disabled Persons; Duchenne muscular dystrophy; Ensure; Equipment; Evolution; Eye; Face; Facial Expression; Family; Family member; Feedback; Freedom; Gestures; Goals; Head; Head and neck structure; Health; Health Communication; Hydration status; Hygiene; Immunity; Impairment; Individual; Intervention; Intuition; Joints; Lighting; Logic; Methods; Monitor; Motor; Movement; Oral cavity; Outcome; Outcome Measure; Personal Satisfaction; Persons; Phase; Positioning Attribute; Powered wheelchair; Productivity; Publishing; Quadriplegia; Quality of life; Research Design; Robotics; Safety; Sales; Saliva; Self Care; Self-Help Devices; Services; Signal Transduction; Spastic Tetraplegia; Speech; Spinal Muscular Atrophy; Spinal cord injury; Suction; System; Tablets; Technology; Telephone; Testing; Tube; Update; Upper Extremity; Variant; Wheelchairs; Work; application programming interface; base; body system; commercialization; communication device; cost; cost effective; cost effectiveness; design; experience; gaze; improved; iterative design; manufacturability; meetings; product development; prototype; psychosocial; research and development; respiratory health; sensor; software development; tool; usability; user centered design

People with mobility restrictions and limited to no upper extremity use depend on others to position the objects that they rely upon for health, communication, productivity, and general well-being. The technology developed in this project directly increases users’ independence by responding to them without another person’s intervention. The independence resulting from the proposed technology allows a user to perform activities related to self-care and communication. Eye tracking and head tracking access to speech devices, tablets, or computers requires very specific positioning. If the user’s position relative to the device are not aligned precisely, within a narrow operating window, the device will no longer detect the eyes or head, rendering the device inoperable. Auto-positioning technology uses computer vision and robotic positioning to automatically move devices to a usable position. The system moves without assistance from others, ensuring the user has continual access to communication. In a generalized application, the technology can target any area of the user’s body to position relevant equipment, such as for hydration or a head array for power wheelchair control. Research and development of the automatic positioning product will be accomplished through user-centered, iterative design, and design for manufacturing. Input from people with disabilities, their family members, therapists, and assistive technology professionals define the functional requirements of the technology and guide its evolution. Throughout technical development, prototype iterations are demonstrated and user-tested, providing feedback to advance the design. Design for manufacturability influences the outcomes to optimize the product pipeline, ensure high quality and deliver a cost effective product. Phase 1 Aims demonstrate the feasibility of 1) movement and control algorithms 2) face tracking algorithms and logic to maintain device positioning and 3) integration with commercial eye tracking device software development kits (SDK). Phase 2 Aims include technical, usability, and manufacturability objectives leading to development of a product for commercialization. Software development advances computer vision capabilities to recognize facial expressions and gestures. A new sensor module serves as a gesture switch or face tracker. App development provides the user interface, remote monitoring and technical support. Design of scaled down actuators and an enclosed three degree of freedom alignment module reduces the form factor, allowing for smaller footprint applications. Rigorous user testing by people with different diagnoses and end uses will ensure the product addresses a range of needs and is easy to use. Testing involves professionals and family members to evaluate ease of set-up, functionality, and customization. Extended user testing will investigate and measure outcomes and effects on their independence, access and health. Prototype tooling and design for cost-effective manufacturing will produce units for user and regulatory testing, and eventual sale.

行动受限且不能使用上肢的人依赖他人来放置他们所依赖的物品，以获得健康、交流、生产力和总体福祉。该项目开发的技术通过在没有其他人干预的情况下响应用户，直接增加了用户的独立性。由所提议的技术产生的独立性允许用户执行与自我护理和交流相关的活动。 眼睛跟踪和头部跟踪访问语音设备、平板电脑或计算机需要非常具体的定位。如果用户相对于设备的位置在狭窄的操作窗口内没有精确对齐，设备将不再检测眼睛或头部，从而使设备无法操作。自动定位技术使用计算机视觉和机器人定位来自动将设备移动到可用的位置。 系统在没有他人帮助的情况下移动，确保用户可以连续访问通信。在一般应用中，该技术可以针对用户身体的任何区域来定位相关设备，例如用于加水或用于电动轮椅控制的头部阵列。 自动定位产品的研发将通过以用户为中心、迭代设计、面向制造的设计来完成。来自残疾人、他们的家庭成员、治疗师和辅助技术专业人员的意见定义了技术的功能需求并指导其发展。在整个技术开发过程中，原型迭代都会得到演示和用户测试，从而为推进设计提供反馈。可制造性设计影响着优化生产线、确保高质量和交付具有成本效益的产品的结果。 第一阶段的目标是展示1)移动和控制算法的可行性，2)维护设备定位的面部跟踪算法和逻辑，以及3)与商业眼球跟踪设备软件开发套件(SDK)的集成。第二阶段的目标包括技术目标、可用性目标和可制造性目标，这些目标导致了产品的商业化开发。软件开发提高了计算机视觉识别面部表情和手势的能力。一种新的传感器模块可用作手势开关或面部跟踪器。 应用程序开发提供用户界面、远程监控和技术支持。缩小执行机构的设计和封闭式三自由度对准模块降低了外形系数，允许更小的占地面积应用。由具有不同诊断和最终用途的人员进行的严格的用户测试将确保该产品满足一系列需求并易于使用。测试涉及专业人员和家庭成员，以评估设置、功能和定制的简易性。扩展用户测试将调查和衡量结果以及对他们的独立性、可获得性和健康的影响。具有成本效益的制造的原型工具和设计将生产用于用户和监管测试的单元，并最终销售。