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Validation methods for an accessible user interface for a rehabilitation robot

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Abstract

This paper describes the research methods required for the development and validation of a user interface for a wheelchair mounted manipulator for use by severely disabled persons. It explains the construction of the interface using tasks to define the user interface architecture. It outlines the experiments used to evaluate the user responses and draws conclusions about the effectiveness of the whole system. A systematic procedure is defined to obtain numerical estimates of the effectiveness of task analysis for individual use. This approach marries engineering procedures with a consideration of the human interaction. The prototype robot used several gesture recognition systems to achieve a better level of accessibility and usability than other robots used for rehabilitation at this time. Two different approaches to user interfaces were tested with different input devices.

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Notes

  1. As initial evaluations employed a 6-axis manipulator; orientation of the end-effector for Cartesian mode was not possible. Hence, evaluation of this mode of control is not included.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank the Charity ASPIRE for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Computing Science, Middlesex University, Trent Park, Bramley Rd, London, N14 4YZ, UK

    Anthony White, Peter Warner & Raj Gill

  2. Becrypt Ltd, Wyrois Court, Swallowfield, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 1WG, UK

    Bernard Parsons

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  1. Bernard Parsons
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  2. Anthony White
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  3. Peter Warner
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  4. Raj Gill
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Correspondence to Anthony White.

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Parsons, B., White, A., Warner, P. et al. Validation methods for an accessible user interface for a rehabilitation robot. Univ Access Inf Soc 5, 306–324 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-006-0051-y

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