A flexible object orientated design approach for the realisation of assistive technology

This thesis contributes to a growing body of research conducted by the Interactive Systems Research Group (ISRG) at Nottingham Trent University within the fields of accessibility and accessible technologies. Core to this research is the exploration of how interactive technologies can be developed and applied as platforms for education, rehabilitation and social inclusion. To this end the group has been actively evolving the User Sensitive and Inclusive Design (USID) methodology for the design, development and evaluation of accessible software and related technologies. This thesis contributes to the further development of the USID method with a focus on its application for the design of assistive technology

Note Taking in VR: The Forearm Keyboard

This work presents and evaluates a forearm keyboard that allows users to enter textual data using a natural full-handed typing mechanism for virtual reality head-mounted display environments. Should the issues noted with the keyboard during the study be solved, the keyboard would compare favourably with others seen in the literature

Realização de um ZX spectrum em FPGA

Dissertação de natureza científica para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática e de ComputadoresO ZX Spectrum era um computador doméstico popular de 8 bits da Sinclair Research dos anos 80. Os periféricos utilizados pelo ZX Spectrum, como a televisão analógica e as cassetes de áudio, hoje em dia estão desactualizados. Assim, estes computadores não são facilmente utilizáveis hoje em dia. Tendo isto em conta, uma atualização para o ZX Spectrum 48k poderia permitir o suporte de periféricos modernos, mantendo a compatibilidade com o ZX Spectrum 48k original. Neste projeto de investigação, foi escolhida uma placa FPGA Terasic DE2-115 como plataforma alvo para implementar o ZX Spectrum 48k com o seu suporte de novos periféricos. Esta placa inclui uma FPGA Intel Cyclone IV, uma porta VGA, uma porta PS/2, uma I/O de áudio analógica, uma ranhura para cartões SD e uma expansão de I/O para ligar joysticks. O trabalho desta dissertação envolveu a implementação do sistema original completo em hardware reconfigurável, bem como de todos os controladores para os novos periféricos, em VHDL. Para além do hardware, foi também desenvolvido software em assembly para o CPU Z80. Um processador de software NIOS II foi incluído e programado para fornecer novas funcionalidades a um sistema informático antigo que este não poderia suportar de outra forma. Este trabalho demonstra a possibilidade de reutilizar arquitecturas, como a proposta, para atualizar sistemas antigos. Os resultados mostram que a arquitetura modernizada funciona como a original. O projeto completo do ZX Spectrum modernizado está disponível publicamente no Git Hub como código aberto.The ZX Spectrum was a popular 8-bit home computer by Sinclair Research from the 80s. The peripherals used by the ZX Spectrum, such as analog television and audio cassette tapes, nowadays are outdated. Thus, these computers are not easily usable today. With this in mind, an upgrade to the ZX Spectrum 48k could allow support for modern peripherals while keeping compatibility with the original ZX Spectrum 48k. In this research project, a Terasic DE2-115 FPGA board was chosen as the target plataform to implement the ZX Spectrum with its novel peripheral support. This board includes an Intel Cyclone IV FPGA, a VGA port, a PS/2 port, an analog audio I/O, an SD card slot, and an I/O expansion for connecting joysticks. The work in this dissertation involved the implementation of the complete original system in reconfigurable hardware, as well as all the controllers for the new peripherals, in VHDL. Besides the hardware, software was also developed in assembly for the Z80 CPU. A NIOS II soft processor was included and programmed to provide novel functionality to an old computer system that it could not support otherwise. This work demonstrates the possibility of reutilizing architectures like the proposed one to update old systems. Results show that the modernized architecture functions like the original one. The complete modernized ZX Spectrum project is publicly available on Git Hub as open-source.N/

Onsetsu hyoki no kyotsusei ni motozuita Ajia moji nyuryoku intafesu ni kansuru kenkyu

制度:新 ; 報告番号:甲3450号 ; 学位の種類:博士(国際情報通信学) ; 授与年月日:2011/10/26 ; 早大学位記番号:新577

ROObockey: Remote Controlled, Aim-Assisted Street Hockey Robot

The goal of the ROObockey project is to design and construct a floor hockey robot that can competitively shoot a puck. The robot design quickly locates a specific beacon through the use of image processing and uses a pneumatic shooting mechanism to send a puck to a specified target. The beacons act as possible player or goal positions in a hockey game. The robot also utilizes a wireless controller device to allow a user to maneuver the robot across a hockey field

Ultrasound Guided Robot for Human Liver Biopsy using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Hemostasis

Percutaneous liver biopsy is the gold standard among clinician\u27s tool to diagnose and guide subsequent therapy for liver disease. Ultrasound image guidance is being increasingly used to reduce associated procedural risks but post–biopsy complications still persist. The major and most common complication is hemorrhage, which is highly unpredictable and may sometimes lead to death. Though the risk of mortality is low, it is too high for a diagnostic procedure. Post-biopsy care and additional surgical intervention to arrest hemorrhage make liver biopsy a costly procedure for health care delivery systems. Non-invasive methods to stop bleeding exist like electro–cautery, microwave, lasers, radio frequency, argon–beam, and High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). All the methods except HIFU require direct exposure of the needle puncture site for hemostasis. HIFU is an ultrasound modality and uses mechanical sound waves for focused energy delivery. Ultrasound waves are minimally affected by tissue attenuation and focus internal targets without direct exposure. Human error in focusing HIFU renders it unusable for a medical procedure especially when noninvasive. In this project we designed and developed an ultrasound guided prototype robot for accurate HIFU targeting to induce hemostasis. The robotic system performs percutaneous needle biopsy and a 7.5 cm focal length HIFU is fired at the puncture point when the needle tip retracts to the liver surface after sample collection. The robot has 4 degrees of freedom (DOF) for biopsy needle insertion, HIFU positioning, needle angle alignment and US probe image plane orientation. As the needle puncture point is always in the needle path, mechanically constraining the HIFU to focus on the needle reduced the required functionality significantly. Two mini c-arms are designed for needle angle alignment and US probe image plane orientation. This reduced the contact foot print of the robot over the patient providing a greater dexterity for positioning the robot. The robot is validated for HIFU hemostasis by a series of experiments on chicken breasts. HIFU initiated hemorrhage control with robotic biopsy ensures arrest of post-biopsy hemorrhage and decreases patient anxiety, hospital stay, morbidity, time of procedure, and cost. This can also be extended to other organs like kidneys, lungs etc. and has widespread implications such as control of hemorrhage in post-biopsies in patients with reduced ability for hemostasis. This research opens a greater scope for research for automation and design making it a physician friendly tool for eventual clinical use

ROOBockey Autonomous Hockey Robot

The goal of the ROOBockey project is to design and construct a floor hockey robot that can competitively shoot a puck. The robot design quickly locates a specific beacon through the use of image processing and uses a pneumatic shooting mechanism to send a puck to a specified target. The beacons act as possible player or goal positions in a hockey game. The robot also utilizes a wireless controller device to allow a user to maneuver the robot across a hockey field