Quadriplegic Communication

Summary

Fostering the basic communication requirements for quadriplegics has been a gravitating topic of research across the globe. Identifying potential feedback mechanisms to critically communicate the intended message by the quadriplegic involves considering various practical implications such as constrained neck movement, possible degrees of orientation, response and reaction accuracies and many other psychological aspects. The rationalization of the communication protocol should trade off between speed and accuracy. The three main patrons helped in creating this communication tool for quadriplegics were single class of feedback movement to execute all desired functions, reduced human effort in terms of performing various activities to serve the feedback loops and essentially the design characteristics (weight, ease of wearing, utility, power consumption, etc.) of the device. This project is named as “Matrix based PEPEP Quadriplegic Communication Tool”, (PEPEP stands for Pause- Entry- Pause- Entry - Pause). The tool comprises of both software and hardware components. The software components deal with the algorithmic structures to efficiently run the feedback mechanism and computation of the sensory data. The hardware components are the Flexi force sensors fabricated on the specialized flaps which can mount on the ears circumventing the radial curvature of the head (Back side), an 8-bit microcontroller board and the corresponding voltage divider circuits connected on an Adafruit Perma half-sized protoboard. Furthermore, we have designed a neck support for both the quadriplegic to stabilize the head and the device to avoid any motion artifacts.

3D-Model of Quadriplegic Communication device