Development and Evaluation of a Head-Controlled Human-Computer Interface with Mouse-Like Functions for Physically Disabled Users

Abstract

OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this study were to develop a pointing device controlled by head movement that had the same functions as a conventional mouse and to evaluate the performance of the proposed device when operated by quadriplegic users.METHODSTen individuals with cervical spinal cord injury participated in functional evaluations of the developed pointing device. The device consisted of a video camera, computer software, and a target attached to the front part of a cap, which was placed on the user’s head. The software captured images of the target coming from the video camera and processed them with the aim of determining the displacement from the center of the target and correlating this with the movement of the computer cursor. Evaluation of the interaction between each user and the proposed device was carried out using 24 multidirectional tests with two degrees of difficulty.RESULTSAccording to the parameters of mean throughput and movement time, no statistically significant differences were observed between the repetitions of the tests for either of the studied levels of difficulty.CONCLUSIONSThe developed pointing device adequately emulates the movement functions of the computer cursor. It is easy to use and can be learned quickly when operated by quadriplegic individuals.

Positive and Negative Motor Signs of Head Motion in Cerebral Palsy: Assessment of Impairment and Task Performance

“…It is widely accepted as a tool for the quantitative evaluation of pointing devices for general population [15]- [18] and people with spinal cord injury [19], [20] or CP [21]- [23]. Authors in those studies presented values of throughput in healthy users of 2.24+/-0.88 bits/s for alternative pointing devices, whereas the throughput for traditional computer mice is usually around 3.5^1.5 bits/s.…”

Efficiency of different face tracking methods over computer control

“…Özellikle boyun kırığına sahip engellilerin C3, C4 ve C5 seviyelerinde boyun altı vücut uzuvları çok kısıtlı kullanabilmesi bireyi oldukça kısıtlamaktadır. [2] Bu seviyede özrü olan bireyler el ve ayaklarını kullanamadıkları için sadece kafa hareketleri ile bazı işlevleri yerine getirebilmektedirler. Bu bireylerin sosyal hayata katılabilmeleri ve diğer insanlarla iletişim kurabilmeleri bilgisayarlar vasıtasıyla çok daha kolay olabilmektedir.…”

“…Örneğin kızılötesi vericileri kullanıcının gözlüklerine,kafa bandına ya da şapkasına yerleştirerek kafa harekleri tespit edilebilmektedir. [2] Diğer bir sistemde ise bir izleyici vasıtası ile baş bölgesine yerleştirilmiş kızılötesi yansıtıcılar izlenmektedir. [3] Yine imleç kontrolünde göz, burun ya da yüzün kullanıldığı bazı çalışmalar bulunmaktadır.…”

A Dual-Mode Human Computer Interface Combining Speech and Tongue Motion for People with Severe Disabilities

“…It is generally accepted that once an individual with a disability is “enabled” to move around and effectively access computers or smartphones, he/she can virtually do most of the things that able-bodied individuals with educational, administrative, or scholarly careers do on a daily basis [3], [4]. This has resulted in a considerable amount ongoing research towards developing new ATs that can potentially take advantage of any remaining abilities of these individuals, such as head motion [5], eye movements [6], muscle contractions [7], and even brain signals [8], [9], to provide this population with alternative means to interact with computers and electronic gadgets.…”