One Dimensional Interface for Improved Computer Access

描述（由申请人提供）：身体残疾的计算机用户无法准确控制鼠标或其他指针，无法执行日常计算机操作，也无法充分利用许多辅助软件程序，如屏幕键盘和语音增强程序。这样的用户通常必须使用扫描输入策略（例如，等待呈现选项，然后使用开关来选择它）。虽然最近的进步已经提高了使用扫描的人的可访问性和速度，但它仍然是一种非常缓慢和繁琐的方法。操作传统的指针需要用户同时控制光标在两个独立维度上的位置。建议的研究包括两个实验，旨在确定的有用性和可行性，开发一个指向策略，概念和功能福尔斯之间的操作指针和操作一个单一的开关。具体地，提出了存在可以操作并受益于一维指向界面的残疾用户，特别是当该指针的操作由已知的补充用户能力的行为控制时。这样的界面还提供了搜索各种新的输入行为的机会，包括新颖的运动响应和不能直接观察到的行为（例如，如通过EEG、EMG和其它电生理传感器测量的）。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Physically disabled computer users unable to accurately control a mouse or other pointer cannot perform routine computer operations and cannot fully exploit many assistive software programs such as on-screen keyboards and speech augmentation programs. Such users often must use scanning input strategies (e.g., waiting for an option to be presented and then using a switch to select it). While recent advances have improved accessibility and speed for persons using scanning, it remains a very slow and tedious method. Operating a conventional pointer requires the user to concurrently control the cursor's location in two independent dimensions. The proposed research includes two experiments designed to determine the usefulness and feasibility of developing a pointing strategy that conceptually and functionally falls between operating a pointer and operating a single switch. Specifically, it is proposed that there are disabled users who could operate and benefit from a single dimensional pointing interface, especially when operation of that pointer is controlled by a behavior known to compliment the user's abilities. Such an interface also provides an opportunity to search for a variety of new input behaviors including novel motor responses and behaviors not directly observable (e.g., as measured by EEG, EMG, and other electrophysiological transducers).