for hackABILITY challenge
Integration of off-the-shelf technology to provide hands free controls. Target beneficiary is the tetraplegia community (individuals with limited or no movement of 4 limbs approximately 140 thousand in North America)
Target system cost below $1000.
- Persons with spinal cord injuries resulting in quadriplegia: little physical movement except for voice, eyes, breath (respirator-cycle limited) and possibly limited motion in a finger (no movement when cold)
- Hearing and vision is functional.
- Requires respirator 24/7 via tracheostomy.
- System needed for both wheelchair and bed reclining positions
- Currently uses a mouth pointer stick to control touch screen.
- Environmental control: temperature, cooling, lights, appliances, etc.
- Cell phone – dialing call lists or by number and rapidly answering incoming
- Computer control –keyboard and mouse
- Media remote control
- Wheel chair controls – alternative to thumb control (control may be lost due to degrading physical ability & fatigue)
- Voices commands primary with emergency back-up (possibly eye control), in case of voice loss.
- Control device must be mobile and include power back-up in case of outage.
Reduces time to activate controls and minimizes effort and physical fatigue on user.