Search results for "Assistive technology"
showing 10 items of 18 documents
Enhancing tracking performance in a smartphone-based navigation system for visually impaired people
2016
In this paper we show how to enhance the tracking performance of Arianna, a low-cost augmented reality system designed to meet the needs of people with problems of orientation, people with sight impairment and blind people. For augmented reality system we mean the design of: i) a set of paths and tags to be deployed in the environment, realized in various ways depending on the context (decorative elements easily identifiable, colorful stripes, QR code, RFID, etc.); ii) an instrument of mediation between the reality and the user (typically a smartphone) to access the information disseminated in the environment by means of a camera and provide a vibration feedback signal to the users for foll…
In.Line: A Navigation Game for Visually Impaired People
2017
Part 3: Serious Games; International audience; In.line is a novel game based on a navigation system, called ARIANNA (pAth Recognition for Indoor Assisted NavigatioN with Augmented perception, [1]), primarily designed for visually impaired people permitting to navigate and find some points of interests in an indoor and outdoor environment by following a path painted or stuck on the floor. The aim of the game is twofold: (1) let the users learn and familiarize with the system, (2) improve blind people spatial skills to let them learn and acquire an allocentric spatial representation. The impact stands in the possibility of enhancing the social inclusion of a large part of the society that is …
A Review of the State-of-the-Art of Assistive Technology for People with ASD in the Workplace and in Everyday Life
2019
Part 8: Digital Divide and Social Inclusion; International audience; Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is an incurable brain-based disorder that refers to a wide range of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterised by marked difficulties in communication and social skills, repetitive behaviour, highly focused interests and sensory sensitivity. Autism can present challenges for affected people at the work environment and in everyday life. The barrier for individuals with ASD increases further with changing environmental situations. Individuals with ASD have limited abilities to isolate their Five senses and often experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch…
Photovoice—Towards Engaging and Empowering People with Intellectual Disabilities in Innovation
2020
E-health and welfare technology offer new ways to support health and social care delivery. While initiatives are made to engage disadvantaged user groups in innovation, people with intellectual disabilities tend to be excluded from design activities. This is a concern as this group can benefit from the use of assistive technology. However, it can be time-consuming and challenging to involve end-users in the design of technology. This calls for processes that are creative, empowering and that facilitate user involvement. In this study, we report and reflect on the process of using photovoice to understand user needs and to empower participants with intellectual disability in an innovation pr…
Adaptive inputs in an interface for people with Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy: Learning and usability
2016
This study concerns the difficulty in accessing computers faced by people with Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (DCP). Thus diminishing their opportunities to communicate or learn. This population usually needs an alternative input human-computer interface (HCI). The paper presents an alternative multimodal HCI that incorporates a head-mounted interface and superficial electromyography sensors (sEMG). The aim of the study is to assess the usability and the suitability of these two HCI devices. Six non-disabled subjects and ten subjects with DCP participated in the iterative process in which each test follows an improvement of an input. The results indicated that for both systems, the improvements …
Using evaluation criteria and rubrics as learning tools in subtitling for the D/deaf and the hard of hearing
2018
This paper focuses on the use of evaluation criteria and rubrics as tools for training in an audiovisual translation mode: subtitling for the D/deaf and the hard of hearing (SDH). Following an introduction to the current conception of and research carried out on quality assurance and assessment both in the translation industry and academia, a brief overview of the assessment processes and instruments used in SDH university training and in the professional sector is provided. This is followed by a case study of SDH assessment practices in Spain. Two questionnaires were filled in by five service providers and 12 university trainers, and the data gathered has enabled a better understanding of …
Case study: effect of handrim diameter on performance in a paralympic wheelchair athlete.
2009
This study, with a top T-52 class athlete, determines the relationship between stroke frequency (SF) and push time (PT) and wheelchair velocity (Wv) using different handrim diameters (HD) and the effect of different HDs on the athlete’s heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (LACT) at competition speeds. Wv shows a linear-direct relationship with SF but a linear-inverse relationship with PT (p < .001 in both cases). Using bigger handrims (0.37 m instead of 0.36 m), SF increases 6%, while PT decreases 27% (at 24 Km·h–1). HR (p < .0001) increases with Wv and is also affected by HD with differences between the 0.34 m—0.36 m handrim group (lower values) and the 0.37 m handrim (higher values). …
The Present and the Future of Occupational Therapy
2020
The present and the future are often interacting in the care of older people. The cultural changes in Europe require the occupational therapy to focus on a personalized approach given the ageing population in different cultures. In this matter, loneliness and boredom are two emerging conditions, which require a specific approach to improve the quality of life of the elderly in different settings. Technology and assistive technology might represent a venue to improve the occupational therapy management of older people. Finally, the continuous evaluation of occupational therapy interventions in clinical trials is key to provide the scientific evidence for the best approach to elderly people.
UnipaBCI a novel general software framework for brain computer interface
2017
The increasing interest in Brain Computer Interface (BCI) requires new fast, reliable and scalable frameworks that can be used by researchers to develop BCI based high performance applications in efficient and fast ways. In this paper is presented "UnipaBCI", a general software framework for BCI applications based on electroencephalogra-phy (EEG) that can fulfill these new needs. A visual evoked potentials (VEP) application has also been developed using the proposed framework in order to test the modular architecture and the overall performance. Different types of users (beginners and experts in BCI) have been involved during the "UnipaBCI" experimental test and they have exhibited good and…
Understanding Deafhood: in search of its meanings.
2013
The authors argue that Deafhood (a term coined by Dr. Paddy Ladd) is an open-ended concept with an essentialist core. They describe how deaf people who have attended their Deafhood lectures and workshops have perceived different aspects of the Deafhood concept, and compare the basic tenets of Deafhood and criticisms on Deafhood to theories and criticisms on feminist essentialisms. The authors find that the vagueness and wideness of the Deafhood concept is one of its strengths, though they also find that it is in some respects problematic to combine and unite ontology and liberation theory in one concept. They further suggest that the ontological aspects of Deafhood need to be foregrounded. …