Research and Development of Input and Editing of Text for the Motor-Impaired Users

Duration: 04/2012 – 12/2014
Funded by: Ministry of Education, Czech Republic
Funding title: KONTAKT II, VSMSMTPMS11

The project combines the fields of human–computer interaction and bio-signal processing for research of new methods and user interfaces for text input and editing for use by the motor-impaired people. The goals of the project may be outlined in the following points:

• New methods of detection, measurement, and analysis of the myoelectric signals
• Prototypes of the new interaction methods for input, editing, and navigation within text documents
• Optimizing the methodology for evaluation of text entry methods

The project is carried out in a collaboration with Department of Computer Engineering, Baskin School of Engineering of University of California Santa Cruz.

• Jakub Otáhal, Antonín Pošusta, Ondřej Poláček – project team members
  
• Adam Sporka – principal investigator
• Sri H Kurniawan – representative of the UCSC

The project consists of two streams: Detection of myoelectric signals and development of prototypes of virtual keyboard and word processing environment that will driven by these signals.

• 2012
  • Selection and detection of signals: Identification of types of signals that can be produced by people with various motor impairments. The focus will be on myoelectric signals but a combination with our previous non-verbal vocal input will be considered.
  • User research: Identification of the common needs regarding the text entry. A task model of text input will be assembled. The goal is to describe not only the process of typing individual letters but also the higher functions – operations with words, sentences, formatting etc. –, how these functions are or are not supported by the current assistive techniques, and how our technology can be used to address these issues.
• 2013
  • Signal detection: Further improvements of the signal processing
  • Prototypes of myoelectric keyboard
• 2014
  • Signal detection: Further improvements of the signal processing
  • Prototypes of myoelectric-operated word processor