Eduardo Naves

Alternative communication systems for people with severe motor disabilities: a survey

We have now sufficient evidence that using electrical biosignals in the field of Alternative and Augmented Communication is feasible. Additionally, they are particularly suitable in the case of people with severe motor impairment, e.g. people with high-level spinal cord injury or with locked-up syndrome. Developing solutions for them implies that we find ways to use sensors that fit the users needs and limitations, which in turn impacts the specifications of the system translating the users intentions into commands. After devising solutions for a given user or profile, the system should be evaluated with an appropriate method, allowing a comparison with other solutions. This paper submits a review of the way three bioelectrical signals - electromyographic, electrooculographic and electroencephalographic - have been utilised in alternative communication with patients suffering severe motor restrictions. It also offers a comparative study of the various methods applied to measure the performance of AAC systems.

Alternative communication system for people with severe motor disabilities using myoelectric signal control

We have now sufficient evidence that the use of bioelectric signals in the field of Augmented and Alternative Communication (AAC) is feasible. Moreover they are particularly suitable for people with severe motor disabilities, for example, people with high levels of spinal cord injury or with locked-in syndrome. The development of solutions for this kind of people implies in the finding of ways to use sensors that fit the user needs as well as the constrains involved, translating the intentions of the user in commands. This paper presents a human-computer interface (HCI), based on the acquisition of electromyographic (EMG) signals to interact with an Assistive Communication System (ACS). The developed tool was tested successfully by patients severely disabled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other diseases.

Virtual and augmented reality environment for remote training of wheelchairs users: Social, mobile, and wearable technologies applied to rehabilitation

New research reports shows that important progresses for controlling electric-powered wheelchair have been made recently aiming people with severe disabilities. In fact, a significant amount of people affected by those physical disabilities still cannot take advantage of autonomous mobility, even electronic or automated ones. For those people, the use of proper biological signals to control the assisted environment may be the only existing solution. In such scenario, the act of commanding an electric-powered wheelchair without proper training may be a serious safety risk. To avoid this kind of dangerous situation and to permit users to make use of such technology, one viable solution would be to be trained by using virtual driving simulators. Nevertheless, when using biomedical signals as commands it is not possible to ensure a continuous and reliable control of the wheelchair, it is necessary to associate the control possibilities with autonomous features such as semiautomatic obstacle detection or contour. Thus, it is interesting to offer to new wheelchair users the possibility of using simulators to allow them to learn to drive at distance, making use of telematics techniques combined with mobile and wearable devices, and publishing their progress and worries in social networks, which is the objective of this work. This project joints complementary skills from researchers from the Federal University of Amazonas, Federal University of Espirito Santo, and Federal University of Uberlandia, with the collaboration of researches from the University of Lorraine in Metz-France.