The design and evaluation of an interface and control system for a scariculated rehabilitation robot arm

This thesis is concerned with the design and development of a prototype implementation of a Rehabilitation Robotic manipulator based on a novel kinematic configuration. The initial aim of the research was to identify appropriate design criteria for the design of a user interface and control system, and for the subsequent evaluation of the manipulator prototype. This led to a review of the field of rehabilitation robotics, focusing on user evaluations of existing systems. The review showed that the design objectives of individual projects were often contradictory, and that a requirement existed for a more general and complete set of design criteria. These were identified through an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, including an assessment of manipulator performances, commercial success and user feedback. The resulting criteria were used for the design and development of a novel interface and control system for the Middlesex Manipulator - the novel scariculated robotic system. A highly modular architecture was adopted, allowing the manipulator to provide a level of adaptability not approached by existing rehabilitation robotic systems. This allowed the interface to be configured to match the controlling ability and input device selections of individual users. A range of input devices was employed, offering variation in communication mode and bandwidth. These included a commercial voice recognition system, and a novel gesture recognition device. The later was designed using electrolytic tilt sensors, the outputs of which were encoded by artificial neural networks. These allowed for control of the manipulator through head or hand gestures. An individual with spinal-cord injury undertook a single-subject user evaluation of the Middlesex Manipulator over a period of four months. The evaluation provided evidence for the value of adaptability presented by the user interface. It was also shown that the prototype did not currently confonn to all the design criteria, but allowed for the identification of areas for design improvements. This work led to a second research objective, concerned with the problem of configuring an adaptable user interface for a specific individual. A novel form of task analysis is presented within the thesis, that allows the relative usability of interface configurations to be predicted based upon individual user and input device characteristics. An experiment was undertaken with 6 subjects performing 72 tasks runs with 2 interface configurations controlled by user gestures. Task completion times fell within the range predicted, where the range was generated using confidence intervals (α = 0.05) on point estimates of user and device characteristics. This allowed successful prediction over all task runs of the relative task completion times of interface configurations for a given user

Human Machine Interfaces for Teleoperators and Virtual Environments

In Mar. 1990, a meeting organized around the general theme of teleoperation research into virtual environment display technology was conducted. This is a collection of conference-related fragments that will give a glimpse of the potential of the following fields and how they interplay: sensorimotor performance; human-machine interfaces; teleoperation; virtual environments; performance measurement and evaluation methods; and design principles and predictive models

Design and development of a robotic workstation for the disabled

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DX170575 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

HUMAN CONTROL OF ROBOTIC MECHANISMS: MODELLING AND ASSESSMENT OF ASSISTIVE DEVICES

The prescription and use of Assistive Technology, particularly teleprostheses, may be enhanced by the use of standard assessment techniques. For input devices, in particular, existing assessment studies, most of which are based on Fitts' Law, have produced contradictory results. This thesis has made contributions to these and related fields, particularly in the following four areas. Fitts' Law (and background information theory) is examined. The inability of this paradigm to match experimental results is noted and explained. Following a review of the contributing fields, a new method of assessing input devices is proposed, based on Fitts' Law, classical control and the concept of 'profiling'. To determine the suitability of the proposed method, it is applied to the results of over 2000 trials. The resulting analysis emphasises the importance of interaction effects and their influence on general comparison techniques for input devices. The process of verification has highlighted gain susceptability as a performance criterion which reflects user susceptability; a technique which may be particularly applicable to Assistive Technology.Dept. of Mechanical and Marine Engineerin

Progressive accommodation for seniors : interfacing shelter and services

The purpose of this book is to explore the reasons why clients, agencies and governments are considering options that blend shelter and care, the barriers impeding their development and how these have or may be overcome at both the policy and the practice level. New ways of measuring person-environment fit and the potential of maximizing it via enabling technologies are also examined. The target readership includes researchers, architects, policy makers, developers, care providers and operators of existing seniors housing, all of whom can benefit from a better understanding of the multiple issues involved in interfacing shelter and services.TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction / Gloria M. Gutman and Andrew V. Wister; Part I: Changing Clients, Economics and Expectations in Housing for Seniors: Chapter 1- Current Demographics and Living Arrangements of Canada\u27s Elderly / Gordon E. Priest; Chapter 2- Choice, Control, and the Right to Age in Place / Veronica Doyle. Part II: Problems in Providing Service within Existing Seniors Housing: Chapter 3- Current Realities and Challenges in Providing Services to Seniors: The Home Care Perspective / Lois Borden and Joan McGregor; Chapter 4 - Difficulties in Providing Support Services in Buildings Constructed Under Shelter-Only Housing Policies / Reg Appleyard. Part III: Transcending Barriers to Combining Shelter and Services: Chapter 5- Public, Private and Non-Profit Partnerships: The CCPPPH Link / C.W. Lusk; Chapter 6- Group Homes: The Swedish Model of Care for Persons with Dementia of the Alzheimer\u27s Type / Elaine Gallagher; Chapter 7- Supportive Housing for Elderly Persons in Ontario / Garry Baker; Chapter 8- Social Policy Models for Shelter and Services: An International Perspective / Satya Brink. Part IV: Measuring and Maximizing Person-Environment Fit: Chapter 9- Measuring Person-Environment Fit Among Frail Older Adults Using Video / Andrew V. Wister and James R. Watzke; Chapter 10- Assessing the Client\u27s Perception of Person-Environment Fit Using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure / Anne Carswell. Part V: Enabling Technologies in Housing for Seniors: Chapter 11- Personal Response Systems: Canadian Data on Subscribers and Alarms / James R. Watzke; Chapter 12- Older Adults\u27 Response to Automated Environmental Control Devices / James R. Watzke and Gary Birch; Chapter 13- Use and Potential Use of Assistive Devices by Home-Based Seniors / William C. Mann; Chapter 14 - Necessary Elements of a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Technical Aids for the Elderly / George Abrahamsohn, Gloria M. Gutman and Andrew V. Wister; Chapter 15- Bridging the Technology Gap - The Links Between Research, Development, Production and Policy for Products Supporting Independent Living / Satya Brin

Prosthetic Realities, Prosthetic Futures: Challenging the status quo of external breast prosthesis design

This practice-based research identifies the need and opportunity to update the design approach used in the production of external breast prostheses (EBP) for women post mastectomy. Spurred by accounts of some women’s negative experiences with their EBP, this research took influence from colour psychology, emotional design and consumer psychology to explore the potential to create a satisfying and transformative product and user-experience. Drawing on grounded theory, design ethnography and human-centred design practices, an iterative, empathic and participant-centred design process and methodology emerged. Insights from interviews, cultural probes, co-design activities and solo practice were combined to inform the making of speculative prosthesis prototypes that could advance the discourse of EBP. The aesthetics of prosthetics is a nascent research field, with some literature focussed on prosthetic limbs and a lack of attention on the prosthetic breast. Current external breast prostheses are semi-realistic or highly realistic and, as such, can keep wearers focussed on the absence of their breast(s) rather than new opportunities for expressing identity - opportunities already available to wearers of limb prostheses. This research concludes that through empathising and designing with wearers, designers can improve the EBP so that it better meets the diverse needs and desires of women and provides the potential for positive associations for those women who are currently dissatisfied with their prosthesis