Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Advances: A Review of Configurations for Individuals with a Speech Disability
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paper_title: Automatic Natural Language Generation Applied to Alternative and Augmentative Communication for Online Video Content Services using SimpleNLG for Spanish

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We present our work to build the Spanish version of SimpleNLG by adapting it and creating new code to satisfy the Spanish linguistic requirements. Not only have we developed this version but also we have achieved a library that only needs the main words as input and it is able to conduct the generation process on its own. The adaptation of the library uses aLexiS, a complete and reliable lexicon with morphology that we created. On the other hand, our enhanced version uses Elsa created from the pictogram domain, which also contains syntactic and semantic information needed to conduct the generation process automatically. Both the adaptation and its enhanced version may be useful integrated in several applications as well as web applications, bringing them natural language generation functionalities. We provide a use case of the system focused on Augmentative and Alternative Communication and online video content services.
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paper_title: Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice

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Part 1: Introduction and Framework 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Framework for Assistive Technologies 3. Disabled Human User of Assistive Technologies Part 2: Service Delivery in Assistive Technologies 4. Delivering Assistive Technology Services to the Consumer 5. Funding Assistive Technology Services and Systems Part 3: The Activities: General Purpose Assistive Technologies 6. Seating Systems as Extrinsic Enablers for Assistive Technologies 7. Human/Assistive Technology Interface 8. Sensory Aids for Persons with Visual Impairments 9. Sensory Aids for Persons with Auditory Impairments Part 4: The Activities: Performance Areas 10. Assistive Technologies for Cognitive Augmentation 11. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems 12. Technologies That Enable Mobility 13. Technologies That Aid Transportation 14. Technologies That Aid Manipulation and Control of the Environment Part 5: Contexts for Assistive Technology Applications 15. Assistive Technologies in the Context of the Classroom 16. Assistive Technologies in the Context of Work Glossary Resources Index
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paper_title: Mobile Interaction for Augmentative and Alternative Communication: a Systematic Mapping

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Verbal communication is essential for socialization, meaning construction and knowledge sharing in a society. When verbal communication does not occur naturally because of constraints in people’s and environments capabilities, it is necessary to design alternative means. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) aims to complement or replace speech to compensate difficulties of verbal expression. AAC systems can provide technological support for people with speech disorders, assisting in the inclusion, learning and sharing of experiences. This paper presents a systematic mapping of the literature to identify research initiatives regarding the use of mobile devices and AAC solutions. The search identified 1366 potentially eligible scientific articles published between 2006 and 2016, indexed by ACM, IEEE, Science Direct, and Springer databases and by the SBC Journal on Interactive Systems. From the retrieved papers, 99 were selected and categorized into themes of research interest: games, autism, usability, assistive technology, AAC, computer interfaces, interaction in mobile devices, education, among others. Most of papers (57 out of 99) presented some form of interaction via mobile devices, and 46 papers were related to assistive technology, from which 14 were related to AAC. The results offer an overview on the applied research on mobile devices for AAC, pointing out to opportunities and challenges in this research domain, with emphasis on the need to promoting the use and effective adoption of assistive technology.
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paper_title: Speech Motor Development: Integrating Muscles, Movements, and Linguistic Units.

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Abstract A fundamental problem for those interested in human communication is to determine how ideas and the various units of language structure are communicated through speaking. The physiological concepts involved in the control of muscle contraction and movement are theoretically distant from the processing levels and units postulated to exist in language production models. A review of the literature on adult speakers suggests that they engage complex, parallel processes involving many units, including sentence, phrase, syllable, and phoneme levels. Infants must develop multilayered interactions among language and motor systems. This discussion describes recent studies of speech motor performance relative to varying linguistic goals during the childhood, teenage, and young adult years. Studies of the developing interactions between speech motor and language systems reveal both qualitative and quantitative differences between the developing and the mature systems. These studies provide an experimental basis for a more comprehensive theoretical account of how mappings between units of language and units of action are formed and how they function. Learning outcomes: Readers will be able to: (1) understand the theoretical differences between models of speech motor control and models of language processing, as well as the nature of the concepts used in the two different kinds of models, (2) explain the concept of coarticulation and state why this phenomenon has confounded attempts to determine the role of linguistic units, such as syllables and phonemes, in speech production, (3) describe the development of speech motor performance skills and specify quantitative and qualitative differences between speech motor performance in children and adults, and (4) describe experimental methods that allow scientists to study speech and limb motor control, as well as compare units of action used to study non-speech and speech movements.
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paper_title: A breath controlled AAC system

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This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Communication Matters and the definitive published version is available at http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/page/cm-journal-download.
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paper_title: Conceptualization and measurement of assistive technology usability

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Background. The concept of product usability has been discussed in several areas of product research and development. Usability, within the realm of assistive technology (AT) devices, determines how effectively and efficiently AT users with disabilities can function in different contexts and environments.Objectives. This article conceptualizes and proposes the significance of AT usability and its measurement in entirety from a human factors perspective. Conceptual models that characterize the interaction of the AT user, the AT device, the context and the involved activity is considered to be the hallmark of measurement of AT usability. On that basis, the article highlights the methodology and the initial progress of the development of an AT outcome tool, the Usability Scale for Assistive Technology (USAT), to measure self reported degree of AT usability.Methodology. In order to identify usability indicators for measurement, a qualitative study was conducted by exploring the experiences of AT users. Ten pa...
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paper_title: Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice

paper_content:

Part 1: Introduction and Framework 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Framework for Assistive Technologies 3. Disabled Human User of Assistive Technologies Part 2: Service Delivery in Assistive Technologies 4. Delivering Assistive Technology Services to the Consumer 5. Funding Assistive Technology Services and Systems Part 3: The Activities: General Purpose Assistive Technologies 6. Seating Systems as Extrinsic Enablers for Assistive Technologies 7. Human/Assistive Technology Interface 8. Sensory Aids for Persons with Visual Impairments 9. Sensory Aids for Persons with Auditory Impairments Part 4: The Activities: Performance Areas 10. Assistive Technologies for Cognitive Augmentation 11. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems 12. Technologies That Enable Mobility 13. Technologies That Aid Transportation 14. Technologies That Aid Manipulation and Control of the Environment Part 5: Contexts for Assistive Technology Applications 15. Assistive Technologies in the Context of the Classroom 16. Assistive Technologies in the Context of Work Glossary Resources Index
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paper_title: Application of the Human Activity Assistive Technology model for occupational therapy research

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Background/aim ::: Theoretical models provide a framework for describing practice and integrating evidence into systematic research. There are few models that relate specifically to the provision of assistive technology in occupational therapy practice. The Human Activity Assistive Technology model is an enduring example that has continued to develop by integrating a social model of disability, concepts from occupational therapy theory and principles of assistive technology adoption and abandonment. ::: ::: Methods ::: This study first describes the core concepts of the Human Activity Assistive Technology model and reviews its development over three successive published versions. A review of the research literature reflects application of the model to clinical practice, study design, outcome measure selection and interpretation of results, particularly among occupational therapists. An evaluative framework is used to critique the adequacy of the Human Activity Assistive Technology model for practice and research, exploring attributes of clarity, simplicity, generality, accessibility and importance. Finally, recommendations are proposed for continued development of the model and research applications. ::: ::: Results ::: Most of the existing research literature employs the Human Activity Assistive Technology model for background and study design; there is emerging evidence to support the core concepts as predictive factors. Although the concepts are generally simple, clear and applicable to occupational therapy practice and research, evolving terminology and outcomes become more complex with the conflation of integrated theories. ::: ::: Conclusions and significance ::: The development of the Human Activity Assistive Technology model offers enhanced access and application for occupational therapists, but poses challenges to clarity among concepts. Suggestions are made for further development and applications of the model.
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paper_title: Experiences of adults with complex communication needs receiving and using low tech AAC: an Australian context.

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PURPOSE ::: We explored the experiences of adults who received aids through the Non-Electronic Communication Aids Scheme (NECAS). ::: ::: ::: METHODS ::: Fifteen adults aged 21-74 years, with complex communication needs (nine males) associated with developmental (n = 10) or acquired disabilities (n = 5) who received NECAS aids, and 12 support people participated. Interviews provided data for thematic analysis. ::: ::: ::: RESULTS ::: Participants used multi-modalities, reflecting that there is more than one way to communicate, but differed in using their augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids according to time and place. How NECAS and other forms of AAC, including electronic devices, were meeting communication needs varied, and reviewing needs was needed. Participants reported being empowered through reducing frustration, increasing independence and facilitating relationships. There were varied preferences for low versus high tech, according to speed of communication and tolerance for breakdowns. They differed in being concerned about what other people think when aids were used in the community, and reactions and attitudes of others. Owning the process emerged through varying degrees of participation in developing and updating their NECAS and other aids. ::: ::: ::: CONCLUSIONS ::: The results are discussed in terms of the benefits of multimodal options, consumer-desired outcomes in research into the effectiveness of AAC and need for ongoing supports. Implications for Rehabilitation AAC includes both high (assistive)-technology and low-technology options. In order to implement best practice, AAC provision of low- and/or high-tech options must be driven by individual needs rather than service limitations. In this qualitative study, the benefits of access to various low- and high-tech AAC options to address needs and preferences are demonstrated.
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paper_title: Barriers and facilitators to the use of high-technology augmentative and alternative communication devices: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis

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Abstract Background: There has been a rapid growth in recent years of available technologies for individuals with communication difficulties. Research in the area is currently underdeveloped with practitioners having a limited body of work on which to draw to guide the process of intervention. Concerns have been raised that this newly developed technology may have limited functional usage. ::: ::: Aims: This review aims to investigate the potential barriers and facilitators to high-technology AAC provision and its ongoing use. The aim of the analysis is to explore factors underpinning use rather than effectiveness, thus it synthesized data from predominantly qualitative and survey studies reporting the views and perceptions of AAC users or staff providing the devices. ::: ::: Main Contribution: The review highlights the range of factors that can impact on provision and use of high-technology AAC, which practitioners should consider and address as appropriate in the intervention process. These include: ease of use of the device; reliability; availability of technical support; voice/language of the device; decision-making process; time taken to generate a message; family perceptions and support; communication partner responses; service provision; and knowledge and skills of staff. The work outlines how qualitative synthesis review methods may be applied to the consideration of published material that is not reporting outcomes data, and how this may provide valuable information to inform future studies. ::: ::: Conclusions: Practitioners should be aware of barriers and facilitators to successful use when making recommendations, and consider how barriers where present might be overcome. Aspects of service delivery such as ongoing technical support and staff training may require further consideration. The synthesis of evidence describing views of users and providers, and the implementation of high-technology AAC systems, can provide valuable data to inform intervention studies and functional outcome measures.
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paper_title: The iPad and Mobile Technology Revolution: Benefits and Challenges for Individuals who require Augmentative and Alternative Communication

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The iPad and other mobile technologies provide powerful new tools to potentially enhance communication for individuals with developmental disabilities, acquired neurogenic disorders, and degenerative neurological conditions. These mobile technologies offer a number of potential benefi ts, including: (a) increased awareness and social acceptance of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), (b) greater consumer empowerment in accessing AAC solutions, (c) increased adoption of AAC technologies, (d) greater functionality and interconnectivity, and (e) greater diffusion of AAC research and development. However, there remain a number of signifi cant challenges that must be addressed if these benefi ts are to be fully realized: (a) to ensure the focus is on communication, not just technology, (b) to develop innovative models of AAC service delivery to ensure successful outcomes, (c) to ensure ease of access for all individuals who require AAC, and, (d) to maximize AAC solutions to support a wide variety of communication functions. There is an urgent need for effective collaboration among key stakeholders to support research and development activities, and to ensure the successful implementation of mobile technologies to enhance communication outcomes for individuals who require AAC and their families.
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paper_title: Using AAC Technology to Access the World

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This paper describes the monumental shift in the nature of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) access that has occurred over the past three decades. In its earliest days AAC technology was directed at enabling interpersonal face-to-face interactions mainly for persons with physical impairment. Contemporary AAC access attempts to mirror the access needs of a broader population. Accordingly AAC access to today's mainstream technologies expands the focus from interpersonal communication to access of information and services over the expanding World Wide Web. With this expanded view comes a new range of challenges and opportunities. At the same time AAC has expanded its reach to include more people with a wider range of complex communication needs.
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paper_title: Eye Gaze Technology as a Form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Individuals with Rett Syndrome: Experiences of Families in The Netherlands

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This paper provides a brief report on families’ experiences of eye gaze technology as one form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT), and the advice, training and support they receive in relation to this. An online survey exploring communication and AAC was circulated to 190 Dutch families; of the 67 questionnaires that were returned, 63 had answered questions relating to eye gaze technology. These 63 were analysed according to parameters including: experiences during trial periods and longer-term use; expert knowledge, advice and support; funding; communicative progress; and family satisfaction. 20 respondents were using or had previous experience of using an eye gaze system at the time of the survey, 28 of those with no prior experience wanted to try a system in the future. Following a trial period, 11 systems had been funded through health insurance for long-term use and two families had decided a system was not appropriate for them. Levels of support during trials and following long-term provision varied. Despite frustrations with the technology, satisfaction with the systems was higher than satisfaction with the support. The majority of families reported progress in their child’s skills with longer term use. These findings suggest that although eye gaze technologies offer potential to individuals with RTT and their families, greater input from suppliers and knowledgeable AAC professionals is essential for individuals and families to benefit maximally. Higher levels of training and support should be part of the ‘package’ when an eye gaze system is provided.
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paper_title: Identifying fixations and saccades in eye-tracking protocols

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The process of fixation identification—separating and labeling fixations and saccades in eye-tracking protocols—is an essential part of eye-movement data analysis and can have a dramatic impact on higher-level analyses. However, algorithms for performing fixation identification are often described informally and rarely compared in a meaningful way. In this paper we propose a taxonomy of fixation identification algorithms that classifies algorithms in terms of how they utilize spatial and temporal information in eye-tracking protocols. Using this taxonomy, we describe five algorithms that are representative of different classes in the taxonomy and are based on commonly employed techniques. We then evaluate and compare these algorithms with respect to a number of qualitative characteristics. The results of these comparisons offer interesting implications for the use of the various algorithms in future work.
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paper_title: Application of eye tracking in medicine: A survey, research issues and challenges

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Abstract The performance and quality of medical procedures and treatments are inextricably linked to technological development. The application of more advanced techniques provides the opportunity to gain wider knowledge and deeper understanding of the human body and mind functioning. The eye tracking methods used to register eye movement to find the direction and targets of a person's gaze are well in line with the nature of the topic. By providing methods for capturing and processing images of the eye it has become possible not only to reveal abnormalities in eye functioning but also to conduct cognitive studies focused on learning about peoples’ emotions and intentions. The usefulness of the application of eye tracking technology in medicine was proved in many research studies. The aim of this paper is to give an insight into those studies and the way they utilize eye imaging in medical applications. These studies were differentiated taking their purpose and experimental paradigms into account. Additionally, methods for eye movement visualization and metrics for its quantifying were presented. Apart from presenting the state of the art, the aim of the paper was also to point out possible applications of eye tracking in medicine that have not been exhaustively investigated yet, and are going to be a perspective long-term direction of research.
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paper_title: A Review and Analysis of Eye-Gaze Estimation Systems, Algorithms and Performance Evaluation Methods in Consumer Platforms

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In this paper, a review is presented for the research on eye gaze estimation techniques and applications, which has progressed in diverse ways over the past two decades. Several generic eye gaze use-cases are identified: desktop, TV, head-mounted, automotive, and handheld devices. Analysis of the literature leads to the identification of several platform specific factors that influence gaze tracking accuracy. A key outcome from this review is the realization of a need to develop standardized methodologies for the performance evaluation of gaze tracking systems and achieve consistency in their specification and comparative evaluation. To address this need, the concept of a methodological framework for practical evaluation of different gaze tracking systems is proposed.
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paper_title: A cost-effective solution for eye-gaze assistive technology

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The problem of assisting people with special needs is assuming a central role in our society, and information and communication technologies are asked to have a key role in aiding people with both physical and cognitive disabilities. This paper describes an eye tracking system, whose strong points are the simplicity and the consequent affordability of costs, designed and implemented to allow people with severe motor disabilities to use gaze as an input device for selecting areas on a computer screen. The motivation for this kind of input device, together with the communication impairments that it may help to solve are reported in the paper, that then describes the adopted technical solution, compared to existing approaches, and reports the results obtained by its experimentation.
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paper_title: Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice

paper_content:

Part 1: Introduction and Framework 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Framework for Assistive Technologies 3. Disabled Human User of Assistive Technologies Part 2: Service Delivery in Assistive Technologies 4. Delivering Assistive Technology Services to the Consumer 5. Funding Assistive Technology Services and Systems Part 3: The Activities: General Purpose Assistive Technologies 6. Seating Systems as Extrinsic Enablers for Assistive Technologies 7. Human/Assistive Technology Interface 8. Sensory Aids for Persons with Visual Impairments 9. Sensory Aids for Persons with Auditory Impairments Part 4: The Activities: Performance Areas 10. Assistive Technologies for Cognitive Augmentation 11. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems 12. Technologies That Enable Mobility 13. Technologies That Aid Transportation 14. Technologies That Aid Manipulation and Control of the Environment Part 5: Contexts for Assistive Technology Applications 15. Assistive Technologies in the Context of the Classroom 16. Assistive Technologies in the Context of Work Glossary Resources Index
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paper_title: Recording eye movements with video-oculography and scleral search coils: a direct comparison of two methods

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Abstract A video-based 2D eye-tracking system (EyeLink version 2.04, SR Research Ltd/SMI) was compared with the scleral search coil technique for its performance on recording the properties of fixations and saccadic eye movements. Fixation positions and saccadic properties (amplitude, duration, and peak velocity) were calculated independently from the data of the two systems that recorded eye positions simultaneously. Fixation positions were well correlated between the video and the coil output with an average discrepancy of
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paper_title: Eye Gaze 101: What Speech-Language Pathologists Should Know About Selecting Eye Gaze Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems

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People with complex communication disabilities along with severe physical disabilities commonly need assistive technology to support access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devic...
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paper_title: Non-intrusive infrared-free eye tracking method

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In the paper a technique of eye tracking based on visible light is presented. The approach described does not require an additional hardware equipment used in the infrared eye tracking system. First, examples of existing eye tracking techniques were presented. Then, the proposed algorithm of image processing and the process of determining the eye position are described. The engineered eye tracking application was tested and the results of these tests are presented.
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paper_title: A review of emerging access technologies for individuals with severe motor impairments.

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Research and development in the field of access technologies for individuals with severe motor impairments has accelerated over the past 10 years. Many emergent alternatives to conventional mechanical switches, such as infrared sensing, electromyography, oculography, and computer vision, have been investigated for those retaining some limited volitional motor ability. At the same time, electroencephalography, electrocorticography, intracortical recordings, and electrodermal activity have been explored for those presenting as locked in. The relevant literature is scattered across many disciplines, obfuscating the strength of the clinical evidence in support of the different access technologies currently in development. This article systematically organizes the literature on the aforementioned access technologies, summarizing their underlying operational mechanisms while reviewing the clinical evidence reported between 1996 and 2006. Research evidence within this period is generally found to be at the case study or uncontrolled study level, with very modest sample sizes. Novel mechanical switches and electroencephalography-based access systems dominate the literature, whereas many other movement-based access modalities have emerged with promising early findings. Access methods for those without extant physical movement constitute a critical direction for future and ongoing research efforts.
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paper_title: In the Eye of the Beholder: A Survey of Models for Eyes and Gaze

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Despite active research and significant progress in the last 30 years, eye detection and tracking remains challenging due to the individuality of eyes, occlusion, variability in scale, location, and light conditions. Data on eye location and details of eye movements have numerous applications and are essential in face detection, biometric identification, and particular human-computer interaction tasks. This paper reviews current progress and state of the art in video-based eye detection and tracking in order to identify promising techniques as well as issues to be further addressed. We present a detailed review of recent eye models and techniques for eye detection and tracking. We also survey methods for gaze estimation and compare them based on their geometric properties and reported accuracies. This review shows that, despite their apparent simplicity, the development of a general eye detection technique involves addressing many challenges, requires further theoretical developments, and is consequently of interest to many other domains problems in computer vision and beyond.
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paper_title: Introducing COGAIN: communication by gaze interaction

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This paper introduces the work of the COGAIN “communication by gaze interaction” European Network of Excellence that is working toward giving people with profound disabilities the opportunity to communicate and control their environment by eye gaze control. It shows the need for developing eye gaze based communication systems, and illustrates the effectiveness of newly developed COGAIN eye gaze control systems with a series of case studies, each showing differing aspects of the benefits offered by gaze control. Finally, the paper puts forward a strong case for users, professionals and researchers to collaborate towards developing gaze based communication systems to enable and empower people with disabilities.
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paper_title: Construction and Operation of a High-Speed, High-Precision Eye Tracker for Tight Stimulus Synchronization and Real-Time Gaze Monitoring in Human and Animal Subjects

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Measurements of the fast and precise movements of the eye—critical to many vision, oculomotor, and animal behaviour studies—can be made non-invasively by video oculography. The protocol here describes the construction and operation of a research-grade video oculography system with 0.1° precision over the full typical viewing range at over 450Hz with tight synchronization with stimulus onset. The protocol consists of three stages: (1) system assembly, (2) calibration for both cooperative and for minimally cooperative subjects (e.g., animals or infants), and (3) gaze monitoring and recording.
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paper_title: Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice

paper_content:

Part 1: Introduction and Framework 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Framework for Assistive Technologies 3. Disabled Human User of Assistive Technologies Part 2: Service Delivery in Assistive Technologies 4. Delivering Assistive Technology Services to the Consumer 5. Funding Assistive Technology Services and Systems Part 3: The Activities: General Purpose Assistive Technologies 6. Seating Systems as Extrinsic Enablers for Assistive Technologies 7. Human/Assistive Technology Interface 8. Sensory Aids for Persons with Visual Impairments 9. Sensory Aids for Persons with Auditory Impairments Part 4: The Activities: Performance Areas 10. Assistive Technologies for Cognitive Augmentation 11. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems 12. Technologies That Enable Mobility 13. Technologies That Aid Transportation 14. Technologies That Aid Manipulation and Control of the Environment Part 5: Contexts for Assistive Technology Applications 15. Assistive Technologies in the Context of the Classroom 16. Assistive Technologies in the Context of Work Glossary Resources Index
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paper_title: BlinkWrite: efficient text entry using eye blinks

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In this paper, a new text entry system is pro- posed, implemented, and evaluated. BlinkWrite provides a communication gateway for cognitively able motor- impaired individuals who cannot use a traditional eye- tracking system. In contrast to most hands-free systems, BlinkWrite allows text to be entered and corrected using a single input modality: blinks. The system was implemented using a scanning ambiguous keyboard, a new form of scanning keyboard that allows English text to be entered in less than two scanning intervals per character. In a user study, 12 participants entered text using the system with three settings for scanning interval: 1,000, 850, and 700 ms. An average text entry rate of 4.8 wpm was observed with accuracy (97%. The highest average text entry rate was achieved with the scanning interval of 850 ms.
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paper_title: Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice

paper_content:

Part 1: Introduction and Framework 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Framework for Assistive Technologies 3. Disabled Human User of Assistive Technologies Part 2: Service Delivery in Assistive Technologies 4. Delivering Assistive Technology Services to the Consumer 5. Funding Assistive Technology Services and Systems Part 3: The Activities: General Purpose Assistive Technologies 6. Seating Systems as Extrinsic Enablers for Assistive Technologies 7. Human/Assistive Technology Interface 8. Sensory Aids for Persons with Visual Impairments 9. Sensory Aids for Persons with Auditory Impairments Part 4: The Activities: Performance Areas 10. Assistive Technologies for Cognitive Augmentation 11. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems 12. Technologies That Enable Mobility 13. Technologies That Aid Transportation 14. Technologies That Aid Manipulation and Control of the Environment Part 5: Contexts for Assistive Technology Applications 15. Assistive Technologies in the Context of the Classroom 16. Assistive Technologies in the Context of Work Glossary Resources Index
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paper_title: Comparative Study of Various Touchscreen Technologies

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First computers became more visual, then they took a step further to understand vocal commands and now they have gone a step further and became „TOUCHY‟, that is skin to screen. In this paper we will throw light on significance of touchscreen technology, its types, components, working of different touchscreens, their applications and a comparative study among various types of touchscreen technologies. Recently touchscreen technology is increasingly gaining popularity as these can be seen at ATMs, cellphones, information kiosks etc. Touch screen based system allows an easy navigation around a GUI based environment. As the technology advances, people may be able to operate computers without mice and keyboards. The touchscreen is an assistive technology. This interface can be beneficial to those that have difficulty in using other input devices such as a mouse or keyboard. When used in conjunction with software such as on-screen keyboards, or other assistive technology, they can help make computing resources more available to people that have difficulty in using computers. Currently various researches are being made to develop touchscreen video projectors. The ability to transform any surface in a touchscreen means lower costs, making the technology more cost effective.
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paper_title: Detection of Respiratory Events during Polysomnography—Nasal-Oral Pressure Sensor Versus Thermocouple Airflow Sensor—

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We compared respiratory events analyzed using a nasal-oral cannula/pressure sensor or thermocouple airflow sensor. Subjects numbered 29—24 men and 5 women with a mean age of 55.8±12.0 years—reporting snoring or obstructive sleep apnea and underwent all-night polysomnography. Respiratory airflow was simultaneously monitored using a nasal-oral thermocouple airflow sensor and a nasal-oral cannula connected to a pressure transducer. Respiratory events were manually analyzed from the thermal sensor, pressure sensor, and both sensors signals. The mean apnea-hypopnea index and apnea index analyzed using the pressure sensor exceeded the means analyzed using a thermal sensor at 33.6±22.8/h vs 30.5±22.8/h, 29.4±21.0/h vs 23.2±21.8/h. The mean hypopnea index analyzed using the thermal sensor was greater than the mean analyzed using the pressure sensor (7.3±10.9/h vs 4.2±7.4/h). The pressure sensor was more sensitive than the thermal sensor in detecting respiratory events, whereas the pressure sensor may have overestimated the number of apnea cases compared to the thermal sensor. The thermal sensor may overestimate the number of hypopneas compared to the pressure sensor. We therefore propose simultaneous monitoring with a nasal-oral pressure sensor and thermal sensor, which significantly improves respiratory event detection.
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paper_title: Respiratory rate monitoring from the photoplethysmogram via sparse signal reconstruction.

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This study aims to develop an accurate framework for respiratory rate (RR) monitoring from the photoplethysmogram (PPG). Sparse signal reconstruction (SSR) is used to obtain a sparse representation of the PPG signal in the spectral domain. Based on the assumption that the RR from two highly overlapped consecutive windows does not change much, RR tracking (RRT) then selects the most appropriate frequency component based on the previous RR. It also produces a signal quality index to determine whether or not to report the RR estimate for a given window. The results were validated on a public benchmark database, Capnobase. Our approach outperforms a state-of-the-art algorithm in the number of RR estimates and accuracy and achieves an overall root mean squared error (RMSE) of 3.25 breaths min(-1), an overall mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.95 breaths min(-1), and an overall mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 7.13%. In conclusion, we have proposed a novel framework that can accurately monitor RR from the PPG via SSR. This is the first time SSR has been used in RR monitoring from the PPG. Unlike existing methods which require a high sampling frequency, our approach works well when the PPG signal is sampled at 10 Hz, making it potentially useful in low-cost wearable devices.
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paper_title: Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice

paper_content:

Part 1: Introduction and Framework 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Framework for Assistive Technologies 3. Disabled Human User of Assistive Technologies Part 2: Service Delivery in Assistive Technologies 4. Delivering Assistive Technology Services to the Consumer 5. Funding Assistive Technology Services and Systems Part 3: The Activities: General Purpose Assistive Technologies 6. Seating Systems as Extrinsic Enablers for Assistive Technologies 7. Human/Assistive Technology Interface 8. Sensory Aids for Persons with Visual Impairments 9. Sensory Aids for Persons with Auditory Impairments Part 4: The Activities: Performance Areas 10. Assistive Technologies for Cognitive Augmentation 11. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems 12. Technologies That Enable Mobility 13. Technologies That Aid Transportation 14. Technologies That Aid Manipulation and Control of the Environment Part 5: Contexts for Assistive Technology Applications 15. Assistive Technologies in the Context of the Classroom 16. Assistive Technologies in the Context of Work Glossary Resources Index
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paper_title: Wearable augmentative and alternative communication device for paralysis victims using Brute Force Algorithm for pattern recognition

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In this study, the aim is to design and build a wearable Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device that converts discrete breathing patterns into pre-defined words to help paralysis victims communicate their needs. In line with this, classification of breath signals into heavy and soft blow to create discrete breathing patterns were investigated. Paralysis victims in a certain age group with no loss of cognitive function shall be the concern of study. In the design that there were no possible threshold values that can be set as constants to classify breath signals into soft and heavy blow. The amplitude of the heavy and soft blow differed in every person based from the conducted statistical test producing a wide deviation, possible overlapping and making no possible threshold value. With this in mind, the researchers developed a program using Brute Force Algorithm and asks the user to register his/her soft and heavy blow during initialization and use it as the threshold upon usage. The accuracy of the device was tested using Standard Error of the Mean and scored 15.45 ± 0.1141 score out of 16.
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paper_title: Sniffing enables communication and environmental control for the severely disabled

paper_content:

Paradoxically, improvements in emergency medicine have increased survival albeit with severe disability ranging from quadriplegia to “locked-in syndrome.” Locked-in syndrome is characterized by intact cognition yet complete paralysis, and hence these individuals are “locked-in” their own body, at best able to communicate using eye blinks alone. Sniffing is a precise sensory-motor acquisition entailing changes in nasal pressure. The fine control of sniffing depends on positioning the soft palate, which is innervated by multiple cranial nerves. This innervation pattern led us to hypothesize that sniffing may remain conserved following severe injury. To test this, we developed a device that measures nasal pressure and converts it into electrical signals. The device enabled sniffs to control an actuator with speed similar to that of a hand using a mouse or joystick. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of device usage revealed a widely distributed neural network, allowing for increased conservation following injury. Also, device usage shared neural substrates with language production, rendering sniffs a promising bypass mode of communication. Indeed, sniffing allowed completely paralyzed locked-in participants to write text and quadriplegic participants to write text and drive an electric wheelchair. We conclude that redirection of sniff motor programs toward alternative functions allows sniffing to provide a control interface that is fast, accurate, robust, and highly conserved following severe injury.
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paper_title: Access to augmentative and alternative communication: New technologies and clinical decision-making

paper_content:

Children with severe physical impairments require a variety of access options to augmentative and alternative com- munication (AAC) and computer technology. Access technologies have continued to develop, allowing children with severe motor control impairments greater independence and access to communication. This article will highlight new advances in access technology, including eye and head tracking, scanning, and access to mainstream technology, as well as discuss future advances. Considerations for clinical decision-making and implementation of these technologies will be presented along with case illustrations.
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paper_title: Automatic detection and classification of acoustic breathing cycles

paper_content:

This paper focuses on respiratory phase detection and classification without the help of the airflow measurements. Instead of using the airflow measurements to identify breathing phases, the proposed work depends on advanced digital signal processing techniques to process the acoustic signal of respiration that was collected using a microphone placed in front of the subject's nose. The recorded signal is processed using the voiced-unvoiced algorithm to differentiate between the voiced period and the unvoiced (silence) period. The desired features are extracted from each voiced phase. Finally, support vector machine is used to distinguish between the inspiration and the expiration phases according to the extracted features. The signals were recorded from a number of subjects who do not have a history of pulmonary diseases. The proposed method has achieved an accuracy of 95% when tested on the subjects.
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paper_title: Breathing Pattern Interpretation as an Alternative and Effective Voice Communication Solution

paper_content:

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems tend to rely on the interpretation of purposeful gestures for interaction. Existing AAC methods could be cumbersome and limit the solutions in terms of versatility. The study aims to interpret breathing patterns (BPs) to converse with the outside world by means of a unidirectional microphone and researches breathing-pattern interpretation (BPI) to encode messages in an interactive manner with minimal training. We present BP processing work with (1) output synthesized machine-spoken words (SMSW) along with single-channel Weiner filtering (WF) for signal de-noising, and (2) k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classification of BPs associated with embedded dynamic time warping (DTW). An approved protocol to collect analogue modulated BP sets belonging to 4 distinct classes with 10 training BPs per class and 5 live BPs per class was implemented with 23 healthy subjects. An 86% accuracy of k-NN classification was obtained with decreasing error rates of 17%, 14%, and 11% for the live classifications of classes 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The results express a systematic reliability of 89% with increased familiarity. The outcomes from the current AAC setup recommend a durable engineering solution directly beneficial to the sufferers.
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paper_title: Efficient communication by breathing

paper_content:

The arithmetic-coding-based communication system, Dasher, can be driven by a one-dimensional continuous signal. A belt-mounted breath-mouse, delivering a signal related to lung volume, enables a user to communicate by breath alone. With practice, an expert user can write English at 15 words per minute.
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paper_title: A breath controlled AAC system

paper_content:

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Communication Matters and the definitive published version is available at http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/page/cm-journal-download.
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paper_title: Smart textile for respiratory monitoring and thoraco-abdominal motion pattern evaluation

paper_content:

The use of wearable systems for monitoring vital parameters has gained wide popularity in several medical fields. The focus of the present study is the experimental assessment of a smart textile based on 12 fiber Bragg grating sensors for breathing monitoring and thoraco-abdominal motion pattern analysis. The feasibility of the smart textile for monitoring several temporal respiratory parameters (ie, breath-by-breath respiratory period, breathing frequency, duration of inspiratory and expiratory phases), volume variations of the whole chest wall and of its compartments is performed on 8 healthy male volunteers. Values gathered by the textile are compared to the data obtained by a motion analysis system, used as the reference instrument. Good agreement between the 2 systems on both respiratory period (bias of 0.01 seconds), breathing frequency (bias of -0.02 breaths/min) and tidal volume (bias of 0.09 L) values is demonstrated. Smart textile shows good performance in the monitoring of thoraco-abdominal pattern and its variation, as well.
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paper_title: Cortical control of a tablet computer by people with paralysis

paper_content:

General-purpose computers have become ubiquitous and important for everyday life, but they are difficult for people with paralysis to use. Specialized software and personalized input devices can improve access, but often provide only limited functionality. In this study, three research participants with tetraplegia who had multielectrode arrays implanted in motor cortex as part of the BrainGate2 clinical trial used an intracortical brain-computer interface (iBCI) to control an unmodified commercial tablet computer. Neural activity was decoded in real time as a point-and-click wireless Bluetooth mouse, allowing participants to use common and recreational applications (web browsing, email, chatting, playing music on a piano application, sending text messages, etc.). Two of the participants also used the iBCI to “chat” with each other in real time. This study demonstrates, for the first time, high-performance iBCI control of an unmodified, commercially available, general-purpose mobile computing device by people with tetraplegia.
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paper_title: A Low-Cost EEG System-Based Hybrid Brain-Computer Interface for Humanoid Robot Navigation and Recognition

paper_content:

This paper describes a hybrid brain-computer interface (BCI) technique that combines the P300 potential, the steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP), and event related de-synchronization (ERD) to solve a complicated multi-task problem consisting of humanoid robot navigation and control along with object recognition using a low-cost BCI system. Our approach enables subjects to control the navigation and exploration of a humanoid robot and recognize a desired object among candidates. This study aims to demonstrate the possibility of a hybrid BCI based on a low-cost system for a realistic and complex task. It also shows that the use of a simple image processing technique, combined with BCI, can further aid in making these complex tasks simpler. An experimental scenario is proposed in which a subject remotely controls a humanoid robot in a properly sized maze. The subject sees what the surrogate robot sees through visual feedback and can navigate the surrogate robot. While navigating, the robot encounters objects located in the maze. It then recognizes if the encountered object is of interest to the subject. The subject communicates with the robot through SSVEP and ERD-based BCIs to navigate and explore with the robot, and P300-based BCI to allow the surrogate robot recognize their favorites. Using several evaluation metrics, the performances of five subjects navigating the robot were quite comparable to manual keyboard control. During object recognition mode, favorite objects were successfully selected from two to four choices. Subjects conducted humanoid navigation and recognition tasks as if they embodied the robot. Analysis of the data supports the potential usefulness of the proposed hybrid BCI system for extended applications. This work presents an important implication for the future work that a hybridization of simple BCI protocols provide extended controllability to carry out complicated tasks even with a low-cost system.
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paper_title: Classification of EEG signals based on AR model and approximate entropy

paper_content:

The analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is a low-cost and effective technique to examine electrical activity of the brain and diagnose brain diseases in the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) applications. Classification of EEG signals is an important task in BCI applications. This paper investigates two common methods of feature extraction on EEG signals, autoregressive (AR) model and approximate entropy. AR coefficients of each segment of each channel are calculated by AR model and entropies of each channel are also calculated by approximate entropy. A combination strategy of feature extraction, where each feature vector consists of AR coefficients and approximate entropies, is proposed in this paper. Extreme learning machine is employed as a classifier for evaluating the classification performance. The classification of five different mental tasks is evaluated by the proposed method. It can be observed from experimental results that the proposed method can effectively improve the classification performance, and achieve a good compromise between classification accuracy and computational cost.
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paper_title: Brain-computer interface in paralysis.

paper_content:

Purpose of reviewCommunication with patients suffering from locked-in syndrome and other forms of paralysis is an unsolved challenge. Movement restoration for patients with chronic stroke or other brain damage also remains a therapeutic problem and available treatments do not offer significant impro
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paper_title: Dual-tree complex wavelet transform-based feature extraction for brain computer interface

paper_content:

The dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) is good at time-frequency analysis and has shift-invariance property. In this paper, we propose a feature extraction method based on DTCWT, which employs the DTCWT to reconstruct the brain computer interface (BCI) signals in each level and overcome the frequency aliasing in wavelet transform. The experimental dataset come from the BCI competition, the mutual information and classify accuracy are used as evaluation criteria. The results show that the DTCWT-based feature extraction method improves the mutual information and accuracy compared to others.
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paper_title: Design requirements and potential target users for brain-computer interfaces – recommendations from rehabilitation professionals

paper_content:

It is an implicit assumption in the field of brain-computer interfacing (BCI) that BCIs can be satisfactorily used to access augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods by people with severe physical disabilities. A one-day workshop and focus group interview was held to investigate this assumption. Rehabilitation professionals (N = 28) were asked to critically assess current BCI technology, recommend design requirements and identify target users. The individual answers were analyzed using the theoretical framework of grounded theory. None of the participants expressed a perception of added value of current BCIs over existing alternatives. A major criticism (and requirement) was that the usability of BCI systems should significantly improve. Target users are only those who can hardly or not at all use alternative access technologies. However, such persons often have concurrent physical, sensory, and cognitive problems, which could complicate BCI use. If successful BCI use continues to require ...
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paper_title: The Cybathlon BCI race: Successful longitudinal mutual learning with two tetraplegic users

paper_content:

This work aims at corroborating the importance and efficacy of mutual learning in motor imagery (MI) brain-computer interface (BCI) by leveraging the insights obtained through our participation in the BCI race of the Cybathlon event. We hypothesized that, contrary to the popular trend of focusing mostly on the machine learning aspects of MI BCI training, a comprehensive mutual learning methodology that reinstates the three learning pillars (at the machine, subject, and application level) as equally significant could lead to a BCI-user symbiotic system able to succeed in real-world scenarios such as the Cybathlon event. Two severely impaired participants with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), were trained following our mutual learning approach to control their avatar in a virtual BCI race game. The competition outcomes substantiate the effectiveness of this type of training. Most importantly, the present study is one among very few to provide multifaceted evidence on the efficacy of subject learning during BCI training. Learning correlates could be derived at all levels of the interface-application, BCI output, and electroencephalography (EEG) neuroimaging-with two end-users, sufficiently longitudinal evaluation, and, importantly, under real-world and even adverse conditions.
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paper_title: Access to augmentative and alternative communication: New technologies and clinical decision-making

paper_content:

Children with severe physical impairments require a variety of access options to augmentative and alternative com- munication (AAC) and computer technology. Access technologies have continued to develop, allowing children with severe motor control impairments greater independence and access to communication. This article will highlight new advances in access technology, including eye and head tracking, scanning, and access to mainstream technology, as well as discuss future advances. Considerations for clinical decision-making and implementation of these technologies will be presented along with case illustrations.
---
paper_title: A review of classification algorithms for EEG-based brain-computer interfaces

paper_content:

In this paper we review classification algorithms used to design brain–computer interface (BCI) systems based on electroencephalography (EEG). We briefly present the commonly employed algorithms and describe their critical properties. Based on the literature, we compare them in terms of performance and provide guidelines to choose the suitable classification algorithm(s) for a specific BCI.
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paper_title: Brain-computer interface technologies: from signal to action

paper_content:

Abstract Here, we present a state-of-the-art review of the research performed on the brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies with a focus on signal processing approaches. BCI can be divided into three main components: signal acquisition, signal processing, and effector device. The signal acquisition component is generally divided into two categories: noninvasive and invasive. For noninvasive, this review focuses on electroencephalogram. For the invasive, the review includes electrocorticography, local field potentials, multiple-unit activity, and single-unit action potentials. Signal processing techniques reviewed are divided into time-frequency methods such as Fourier transform, autoregressive models, wavelets, and Kalman filter and spatiotemporal techniques such as Laplacian filter and common spatial patterns. Additionally, various signal feature classification algorithms are discussed such as linear discriminant analysis, support vector machines, artificial neural networks, and Bayesian classifiers. The article ends with a discussion of challenges facing BCI and concluding remarks on the future of the technology.
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paper_title: Rapid prototyping of an EEG-based brain-computer interface (BCI)

paper_content:

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is modified by motor imagery and can be used by patients with severe motor impairments (e.g., late stage of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) to communicate with their environment. Such a direct connection between the brain and the computer is known as an EEG-based brain-computer interface (BCI). This paper describes a new type of BCI system that uses rapid prototyping to enable a fast transition of various types of parameter estimation and classification algorithms to real-time implementation and testing. Rapid prototyping is possible by using Matlab, Simulink, and the Real-Time Workshop. It is shown how to automate real-time experiments and perform the interplay between on-line experiments and offline analysis. The system is able to process multiple EEG channels on-line and operates under Windows 95 in real-time on a standard PC without an additional DSP board. The BCI can be controlled over the Internet, LAN or modem. This BCI was tested on 3 subjects whose task it was to imagine either left or right hand movement. A classification accuracy between 70% and 95% could be achieved with two EEG channels after some sessions with feedback using an adaptive autoregressive model and linear discriminant analysis.
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paper_title: Evaluation of a low-cost alternative communication device with brain control

paper_content:

This study seeks to evaluate the performance reliability of a prototype of AAC(Augmentative and alternative communication) device with BCI technology. Ten subjects were required to control cursor movements and activate switches from the AAC by using mental focus control and eye-winking directional control. Focus levels were monitored through EEG data extracted from the frontal cortical location. Attention shifts from low to high attention levels correlating with each task-onset were analyzed. Results showed positive performance reliability for controlling the AAC device using these parameters. No significant correlations were shown between test performance and familiarity with the device. The results of this study provide evidence that brain-focus and eye-winks could be useful and reliable tools to incorporate into AAC technology developments.
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paper_title: Classification of electroencephalography (EEG) signals for different mental activities using Kullback Leibler (KL) divergence

paper_content:

Automatic classification of electroencephalography (EEG) signals, for different type of mental activities, is an active area of research and has many applications such as brain computer interface (BCI) and medical diagnoses. We introduce a simple yet effective way to use Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence in the classification of raw EEG signals. We show that k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) algorithm with KL divergence as the distance measure, when used using our feature vectors, gives competitive classification accuracy and consistently outperforms the more commonly used Euclidean k-NN. We also develop and demonstrate the use of a KL-based kernel to classify EEG data using support vector machines (SVMs). Our KL-distance based kernel compares favorably to other well established kernels such as linear and radial basis function (RBF) kernel. The EEG data, used in our experiments for classification, was recorded while the subject performed 5 different mental activities such as math problem solving, letter composing, 3-D block rotation, counting and resting (baseline). We present classification results for this data set that are obtained by using raw EEG data with no explicit artifact removal in the pre-processing steps.
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paper_title: Deep learning-based classification for brain-computer interfaces

paper_content:

Brain-computer interface (BCI) is an emerging area of research that aims to improve the quality of human-computer applications. It has enormous scope in biomedical applications, neural rehabilitation, biometric authentication, educational programmes, and entertainment applications. A BCI system has four major components: signal acquisition, signal preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification. In this study, we provide a comparison of various traditional classification algorithms to the newer methods of deep learning. We explore two different types of deep learning methods, namely, convolutional neural networks (CNN) and recurrent neural networks (RNN) with long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture. We test the classification accuracies on a recent 5-dass steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) dataset. The results prove the superiority of deep learning methods in comparison with the traditional classification algorithms. Amongst the traditional classifiers, support vector machine (SVM) with Gaussian kernel employing sequential forward selection (SFS) of features provided a better classification accuracy of 66.09%, while CNN provided the highest classification accuracy of 69.03%.
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paper_title: High-speed spelling with a noninvasive brain–computer interface

paper_content:

The past 20 years have witnessed unprecedented progress in brain–computer interfaces (BCIs). However, low communication rates remain key obstacles to BCI-based communication in humans. This study presents an electroencephalogram-based BCI speller that can achieve information transfer rates (ITRs) up to 5.32 bits per second, the highest ITRs reported in BCI spellers using either noninvasive or invasive methods. Based on extremely high consistency of frequency and phase observed between visual flickering signals and the elicited single-trial steady-state visual evoked potentials, this study developed a synchronous modulation and demodulation paradigm to implement the speller. Specifically, this study proposed a new joint frequency-phase modulation method to tag 40 characters with 0.5-s-long flickering signals and developed a user-specific target identification algorithm using individual calibration data. The speller achieved high ITRs in online spelling tasks. This study demonstrates that BCIs can provide a truly naturalistic high-speed communication channel using noninvasively recorded brain activities.
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paper_title: Brain–computer interface use is a skill that user and system acquire together

paper_content:

A brain–computer interface (BCI) is a computer-based system that acquires, analyzes, and translates brain signals into output commands in real time. Perdikis and colleagues demonstrate superior performance in a Cybathlon BCI race using a system based on “three pillars”: machine learning, user training, and application. These results highlight the fact that BCI use is a learned skill and not simply a matter of “mind reading.”
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paper_title: Neural Internet: Web Surfing with Brain Potentials for the Completely Paralyzed

paper_content:

Neural Internet is a new technological advancement in braincomputer interface research, which enables locked-in patients to operate a Web browser directly with their brain potentials. Neural Internet was successfully tested with a locked-in patient diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis rendering him the first paralyzed person to surf the Internet solely by regulating his electrical brain activity. The functioning of Neural Internet and its clinical implications for motorimpaired patients are highlighted.
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paper_title: Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) in paralysis

paper_content:

Abstract Introduction Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) use brain activity to control external devices, facilitating paralyzed patients to interact with the environment. In this review, we focus on the current advances of non-invasive BMIs for communication in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and for restoration of motor impairment after severe stroke. BMI for ALS patients BMI represents a promising strategy to establish communication with paralyzed ALS patients as it does not need muscle engagement for its use. Distinct techniques have been explored to assess brain neurophysiology to control BMI for patients’ communication, especially electroencephalography (EEG) and more recently near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Previous studies demonstrated successful communication with ALS patients using EEG-BMI when patients still showed residual eye control, but patients with complete paralysis were unable to communicate with this system. We recently introduced functional NIRS (fNIRS)-BMI for communication in ALS patients in the complete locked-in syndrome (i.e., when ALS patients are unable to engage any muscle), opening new doors for communication in ALS patients after complete paralysis. BMI for stroke motor recovery In addition to assisted communication, BMI is also being extensively studied for motor recovery after stroke. BMI for stroke motor recovery includes intensive BMI training linking brain activity related to patient's intention to move the paretic limb with the contingent sensory feedback of the paretic limb movement guided by assistive devices. BMI studies in this area are mainly focused on EEG- or magnetoencephalography (MEG)-BMI systems due to their high temporal resolution, which facilitates online contingency between intention to move and sensory feedback of the intended movement. EEG-BMI training was recently demonstrated in a controlled study to significantly improve motor performance in stroke patients with severe paresis. Neural basis for BMI-induced restoration of motor function and perspectives for future BMI research for stroke motor recovery are discussed.
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paper_title: Surfing the internet with a BCI mouse

paper_content:

In this paper, we present a new web browser based on a two-dimensional (2D) brain–computer interface (BCI) mouse, where our major concern is the selection of an intended target in a multi-target web page. A real-world web page may contain tens or even hundreds of targets, including hyperlinks, input elements, buttons, etc. In this case, a target filter designed in our system can be used to exclude most of those targets of no interest. Specifically, the user filters the targets of no interest out by inputting keywords with a P300-based speller, while keeps those containing the keywords. Such filtering largely facilitates the target selection task based on our BCI mouse. When there are only several targets in a web page (either an original sparse page or a target-filtered page), the user moves the mouse toward the target of interest using his/her electroencephalographic signal. The horizontal movement and vertical movement are controlled by motor imagery and P300 potential, respectively. If the mouse encounters a target of no interest, the user rejects it and continues to move the mouse. Otherwise the user selects the target and activates it. With the collaboration of the target filtering and a series of mouse movements and target selections/rejections, the user can select an intended target in a web page. Based on our browser system, common navigation functions, including history rolling forward and backward, hyperlink selection, page scrolling, text input, etc, are available. The system has been tested on seven subjects. Experimental results not only validated the efficacy of the proposed method, but also showed that free internet surfing with a BCI mouse is feasible.
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paper_title: The Application of Natural Language Processing to Augmentative and Alternative Communication

paper_content:

ABSTRACT Significant progress has been made in the application of natural language processing (NLP) to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), particularly in the areas of interface design and word prediction. This article will survey the current state-of-the-science of NLP in AAC and discuss its future applications for the development of next generation of AAC technology.
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paper_title: Brain-computer interfaces for communication and control

paper_content:

The brain's electrical signals enable people without muscle control to physically interact with the world.
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paper_title: Towards adaptive classification for BCI

paper_content:

Non-stationarities are ubiquitous in EEG signals. They are especially apparent in the use of EEG-based brain–computer interfaces (BCIs): (a) in the differences between the initial calibration measurement and the online operation of a BCI, or (b) caused by changes in the subject's brain processes during an experiment (e.g. due to fatigue, change of task involvement, etc). In this paper, we quantify for the first time such systematic evidence of statistical differences in data recorded during offline and online sessions. Furthermore, we propose novel techniques of investigating and visualizing data distributions, which are particularly useful for the analysis of (non-)stationarities. Our study shows that the brain signals used for control can change substantially from the offline calibration sessions to online control, and also within a single session. In addition to this general characterization of the signals, we propose several adaptive classification schemes and study their performance on data recorded during online experiments. An encouraging result of our study is that surprisingly simple adaptive methods in combination with an offline feature selection scheme can significantly increase BCI performance.
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paper_title: Increasing BCI communication rates with dynamic stopping towards more practical use: an ALS study

paper_content:

Objective. The P300 speller is a brain–computer interface (BCI) that can possibly restore communication abilities to individuals with severe neuromuscular disabilities, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), by exploiting elicited brain signals in electroencephalography (EEG) data. However, accurate spelling with BCIs is slow due to the need to average data over multiple trials to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the elicited brain signals. Probabilistic approaches to dynamically control data collection have shown improved performance in non-disabled populations; however, validation of these approaches in a target BCI user population has not occurred. Approach. We have developed a data-driven algorithm for the P300 speller based on Bayesian inference that improves spelling time by adaptively selecting the number of trials based on the acute SNR of a user’s EEG data. We further enhanced the algorithm by incorporating information about the user’s language. In this current study, we test and validate the algorithms online in a target BCI user population, by comparing the performance of the dynamic stopping (DS) (or early stopping) algorithms against the current state-of-the-art method, static data collection, where the amount of data collected is fixed prior to online operation. Main results. Results from online testing of the DS algorithms in participants with ALS demonstrate a significant increase in communication rate as measured in bits/min (100–300%), and theoretical bit rate (100–550%), while maintaining selection accuracy. Participants also overwhelmingly preferred the DS algorithms. Significance. We have developed a viable BCI algorithm that has been tested in a target BCI population which has the potential for translation to improve BCI speller performance towards more practical use for communication.
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paper_title: A breath controlled AAC system

paper_content:

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Communication Matters and the definitive published version is available at http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/page/cm-journal-download.
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paper_title: Deep learning-based classification for brain-computer interfaces

paper_content:

Brain-computer interface (BCI) is an emerging area of research that aims to improve the quality of human-computer applications. It has enormous scope in biomedical applications, neural rehabilitation, biometric authentication, educational programmes, and entertainment applications. A BCI system has four major components: signal acquisition, signal preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification. In this study, we provide a comparison of various traditional classification algorithms to the newer methods of deep learning. We explore two different types of deep learning methods, namely, convolutional neural networks (CNN) and recurrent neural networks (RNN) with long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture. We test the classification accuracies on a recent 5-dass steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) dataset. The results prove the superiority of deep learning methods in comparison with the traditional classification algorithms. Amongst the traditional classifiers, support vector machine (SVM) with Gaussian kernel employing sequential forward selection (SFS) of features provided a better classification accuracy of 66.09%, while CNN provided the highest classification accuracy of 69.03%.
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paper_title: Topic modeling in fringe word prediction for AAC

paper_content:

Word prediction can be used for enhancing the communication ability of persons with speech and language impairments. In this work, we explore two methods of adapting a language model to the topic of conversation, and apply these methods to the prediction of fringe words.
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paper_title: Brain–computer interface use is a skill that user and system acquire together

paper_content:

A brain–computer interface (BCI) is a computer-based system that acquires, analyzes, and translates brain signals into output commands in real time. Perdikis and colleagues demonstrate superior performance in a Cybathlon BCI race using a system based on “three pillars”: machine learning, user training, and application. These results highlight the fact that BCI use is a learned skill and not simply a matter of “mind reading.”
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paper_title: Smart Home Design for Disabled People based on Neural Networks

paper_content:

Abstract Toward facilitating the everyday life of disabled people researches have put together technologies such as computing, networking and telecommunication in one environment called a Smart Home. Enabling disabled people to overcome their handicap by providing a system that replaces what they lack is what makes such a work interesting and important. We have developed such a space by stepping ahead of past researches and not only reaching a preprogrammed automatic home, but also a learning and self-adapting intelligent home. This was accomplished by integrating two types of neural networks to our system. To show the effectiveness of the system, we developed a first prototype that covers parts of the theoretical design. Further work can be done by actually transforming our prototype to an actual house where disabled people may benefit from.
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paper_title: Toward Functional Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Students With Autism

paper_content:

Many individuals with autism are candidates for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, either to supplement (i.e., augment) their existing speech or to act as their primary (i.e....
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paper_title: Augmentative & Alternative Communication: Supporting Children & Adults With Complex Communication Needs

paper_content:

As AAC use continues to flourish and new technology revolutionises the field, tomorrow's service providers need current, authoritative information on AAC for children and adults with communication disorders. That's why David Beukelman and Pat Mirenda have revised and updated the bestselling Augmentative and Alternative Communication--the trusted, widely adopted graduate-level text on communication disorders and AAC. The foundational textbook for SLPs, OTs, PTs, teachers, and other professionals in clinical and educational settings, this fourth edition is a definitive introduction to AAC processes, interventions, and technologies that help people best meet their daily communication needs. Future professionals will prepare for their work in the field with critical new information on * advancing literacy skills (new chapter by Janice Light and David McNaughton) * conducting effective, culturally appropriate assessment to determine AAC needs * choosing AAC interventions appropriate for age and ability * selecting AAC vocabulary tailored to individual needs * using new consumer technologies as easy, affordable, and non-stigmatising communication devices * understanding types of symbols and how individuals use them * promoting social competence * supporting language learning and development * providing effective support to beginning communicators * planning an inclusive education for students with complex communication needs Readers will get a thorough overview of communication and AAC issues for people with specific developmental disabilities (including cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and autism) and acquired disabilities (such as aphasia, traumatic brain injury, and degenerative cognitive and linguistic disorders). And with helpful photos, figures, and photocopiable forms, readers will be ready to collect and use important information on assessment, individual communication needs, classroom supports, and more. An essential core text for tomorrow's professionals--and a key reference for inservice practitioners--this new fourth edition expertly prepares readers to support the communicative competence of children and adults with a wide range of complex needs.
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paper_title: Synthesized speech intelligibility among native speakers and non-native speakers of English

paper_content:

Using synthesized and digitized speech in electronic communication devices may greatly benefit individuals who cannot produce intelligible speech. However, multiple investigations have demonstrated that synthesized speech is not always sufficiently intelligible for its listeners. Listening to synthesized speech may be particularly problematic for listeners for whom English is a second language. We compared native and non-native English-speaking adults' listening accuracy for English sentences in natural voice and synthesized voice conditions. Results indicated a disproportionate disadvantage for the non-native English-speaking group when listening to synthesized speech compared to their native English-speaking age peers. There was, however, significant variability in performance within the non-native English group, and this was strongly related to independent measures of English language skill. Specifically, a large portion of the variance in performance on the synthesized speech task was predicted by par...
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paper_title: Smartphone-Based Gaze Gesture Communication for People with Motor Disabilities

paper_content:

Current eye-tracking input systems for people with ALS or other motor impairments are expensive, not robust under sunlight, and require frequent re-calibration and substantial, relatively immobile setups. Eye-gaze transfer (e-tran) boards, a low-tech alternative, are challenging to master and offer slow communication rates. To mitigate the drawbacks of these two status quo approaches, we created GazeSpeak, an eye gesture communication system that runs on a smartphone, and is designed to be low-cost, robust, portable, and easy-to-learn, with a higher communication bandwidth than an e-tran board. GazeSpeak can interpret eye gestures in real time, decode these gestures into predicted utterances, and facilitate communication, with different user interfaces for speakers and interpreters. Our evaluations demonstrate that GazeSpeak is robust, has good user satisfaction, and provides a speed improvement with respect to an e-tran board; we also identify avenues for further improvement to low-cost, low-effort gaze-based communication technologies.
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paper_title: Brain–Computer Interfaces for Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A Tutorial

paper_content:

Purpose Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to improve communication for people who require but are unable to use traditional augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device...
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paper_title: A Review and Analysis of Eye-Gaze Estimation Systems, Algorithms and Performance Evaluation Methods in Consumer Platforms

paper_content:

In this paper, a review is presented for the research on eye gaze estimation techniques and applications, which has progressed in diverse ways over the past two decades. Several generic eye gaze use-cases are identified: desktop, TV, head-mounted, automotive, and handheld devices. Analysis of the literature leads to the identification of several platform specific factors that influence gaze tracking accuracy. A key outcome from this review is the realization of a need to develop standardized methodologies for the performance evaluation of gaze tracking systems and achieve consistency in their specification and comparative evaluation. To address this need, the concept of a methodological framework for practical evaluation of different gaze tracking systems is proposed.
---
paper_title: Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice

paper_content:

Part 1: Introduction and Framework 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Framework for Assistive Technologies 3. Disabled Human User of Assistive Technologies Part 2: Service Delivery in Assistive Technologies 4. Delivering Assistive Technology Services to the Consumer 5. Funding Assistive Technology Services and Systems Part 3: The Activities: General Purpose Assistive Technologies 6. Seating Systems as Extrinsic Enablers for Assistive Technologies 7. Human/Assistive Technology Interface 8. Sensory Aids for Persons with Visual Impairments 9. Sensory Aids for Persons with Auditory Impairments Part 4: The Activities: Performance Areas 10. Assistive Technologies for Cognitive Augmentation 11. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems 12. Technologies That Enable Mobility 13. Technologies That Aid Transportation 14. Technologies That Aid Manipulation and Control of the Environment Part 5: Contexts for Assistive Technology Applications 15. Assistive Technologies in the Context of the Classroom 16. Assistive Technologies in the Context of Work Glossary Resources Index
---
paper_title: Wearable augmentative and alternative communication device for paralysis victims using Brute Force Algorithm for pattern recognition

paper_content:

In this study, the aim is to design and build a wearable Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device that converts discrete breathing patterns into pre-defined words to help paralysis victims communicate their needs. In line with this, classification of breath signals into heavy and soft blow to create discrete breathing patterns were investigated. Paralysis victims in a certain age group with no loss of cognitive function shall be the concern of study. In the design that there were no possible threshold values that can be set as constants to classify breath signals into soft and heavy blow. The amplitude of the heavy and soft blow differed in every person based from the conducted statistical test producing a wide deviation, possible overlapping and making no possible threshold value. With this in mind, the researchers developed a program using Brute Force Algorithm and asks the user to register his/her soft and heavy blow during initialization and use it as the threshold upon usage. The accuracy of the device was tested using Standard Error of the Mean and scored 15.45 ± 0.1141 score out of 16.
---
paper_title: Access to augmentative and alternative communication: New technologies and clinical decision-making

paper_content:

Children with severe physical impairments require a variety of access options to augmentative and alternative com- munication (AAC) and computer technology. Access technologies have continued to develop, allowing children with severe motor control impairments greater independence and access to communication. This article will highlight new advances in access technology, including eye and head tracking, scanning, and access to mainstream technology, as well as discuss future advances. Considerations for clinical decision-making and implementation of these technologies will be presented along with case illustrations.
---
paper_title: A brain-computer interface for long-term independent home use

paper_content:

AbstractOur objective was to develop and validate a new brain-computer interface (BCI) system suitable for long-term independent home use by people with severe motor disabilities. The BCI was used by a 51-year-old male with ALS who could no longer use conventional assistive devices. Caregivers learned to place the electrode cap, add electrode gel, and turn on the BCI. After calibration, the system allowed the user to communicate via EEG. Re-calibration was performed remotely (via the internet), and BCI accuracy assessed in periodic tests. Reports of BCI usefulness by the user and the family were also recorded. Results showed that BCI accuracy remained at 83% (r = −.07, n.s.) for over 2.5 years (1.4% expected by chance). The BCI user and his family state that the BCI had restored his independence in social interactions and at work. He uses the BCI to run his NIH-funded research laboratory and to communicate via e-mail with family, friends, and colleagues. In addition to this first user, several other simil...
---
paper_title: Breathing Pattern Interpretation as an Alternative and Effective Voice Communication Solution

paper_content:

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems tend to rely on the interpretation of purposeful gestures for interaction. Existing AAC methods could be cumbersome and limit the solutions in terms of versatility. The study aims to interpret breathing patterns (BPs) to converse with the outside world by means of a unidirectional microphone and researches breathing-pattern interpretation (BPI) to encode messages in an interactive manner with minimal training. We present BP processing work with (1) output synthesized machine-spoken words (SMSW) along with single-channel Weiner filtering (WF) for signal de-noising, and (2) k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classification of BPs associated with embedded dynamic time warping (DTW). An approved protocol to collect analogue modulated BP sets belonging to 4 distinct classes with 10 training BPs per class and 5 live BPs per class was implemented with 23 healthy subjects. An 86% accuracy of k-NN classification was obtained with decreasing error rates of 17%, 14%, and 11% for the live classifications of classes 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The results express a systematic reliability of 89% with increased familiarity. The outcomes from the current AAC setup recommend a durable engineering solution directly beneficial to the sufferers.
---
paper_title: Eye tracking system model with easy calibration

paper_content:

Calibration is one of the most tedious and often annoying aspects of many eye tracking systems. It normally consists in looking at several marks on a screen in order to collect enough data to modify the parameters of an adjustable model. Unfortunately this step is unavoidable if a competent tracking system is desired. Many efforts have been made to achieve more competent and improved eye tracking systems. Maybe the search for an accurate mathematical model is one of the least researched fields. The lack of a parametric description of the gaze estimation problem makes it difficult to find the most suitable model, and therefore generic expressions in calibration and tracking sessions are employed instead. In other words, a model based on parameters describing the elements involved in the tracking system would provide a stronger basis and robustness. The aim of this work is to build up a mathematical model totally based in realistic variables describing elements taking part in an eye tracking system employing the well known bright pupil technique i.e. user, camera, illumination and screen. The model is said to be defined when the expression relating the point the user is looking at with the extracted features of the image (glint position and center of the pupil) is found. The desired model would have to be simple, realistic, accurate and easy to calibrate.
---
paper_title: Smartphone-Based Gaze Gesture Communication for People with Motor Disabilities

paper_content:

Current eye-tracking input systems for people with ALS or other motor impairments are expensive, not robust under sunlight, and require frequent re-calibration and substantial, relatively immobile setups. Eye-gaze transfer (e-tran) boards, a low-tech alternative, are challenging to master and offer slow communication rates. To mitigate the drawbacks of these two status quo approaches, we created GazeSpeak, an eye gesture communication system that runs on a smartphone, and is designed to be low-cost, robust, portable, and easy-to-learn, with a higher communication bandwidth than an e-tran board. GazeSpeak can interpret eye gestures in real time, decode these gestures into predicted utterances, and facilitate communication, with different user interfaces for speakers and interpreters. Our evaluations demonstrate that GazeSpeak is robust, has good user satisfaction, and provides a speed improvement with respect to an e-tran board; we also identify avenues for further improvement to low-cost, low-effort gaze-based communication technologies.
---
paper_title: A Low-Cost EEG System-Based Hybrid Brain-Computer Interface for Humanoid Robot Navigation and Recognition

paper_content:

This paper describes a hybrid brain-computer interface (BCI) technique that combines the P300 potential, the steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP), and event related de-synchronization (ERD) to solve a complicated multi-task problem consisting of humanoid robot navigation and control along with object recognition using a low-cost BCI system. Our approach enables subjects to control the navigation and exploration of a humanoid robot and recognize a desired object among candidates. This study aims to demonstrate the possibility of a hybrid BCI based on a low-cost system for a realistic and complex task. It also shows that the use of a simple image processing technique, combined with BCI, can further aid in making these complex tasks simpler. An experimental scenario is proposed in which a subject remotely controls a humanoid robot in a properly sized maze. The subject sees what the surrogate robot sees through visual feedback and can navigate the surrogate robot. While navigating, the robot encounters objects located in the maze. It then recognizes if the encountered object is of interest to the subject. The subject communicates with the robot through SSVEP and ERD-based BCIs to navigate and explore with the robot, and P300-based BCI to allow the surrogate robot recognize their favorites. Using several evaluation metrics, the performances of five subjects navigating the robot were quite comparable to manual keyboard control. During object recognition mode, favorite objects were successfully selected from two to four choices. Subjects conducted humanoid navigation and recognition tasks as if they embodied the robot. Analysis of the data supports the potential usefulness of the proposed hybrid BCI system for extended applications. This work presents an important implication for the future work that a hybridization of simple BCI protocols provide extended controllability to carry out complicated tasks even with a low-cost system.
---
paper_title: A cost-effective solution for eye-gaze assistive technology

paper_content:

The problem of assisting people with special needs is assuming a central role in our society, and information and communication technologies are asked to have a key role in aiding people with both physical and cognitive disabilities. This paper describes an eye tracking system, whose strong points are the simplicity and the consequent affordability of costs, designed and implemented to allow people with severe motor disabilities to use gaze as an input device for selecting areas on a computer screen. The motivation for this kind of input device, together with the communication impairments that it may help to solve are reported in the paper, that then describes the adopted technical solution, compared to existing approaches, and reports the results obtained by its experimentation.
---
paper_title: The iPad and Mobile Technology Revolution: Benefits and Challenges for Individuals who require Augmentative and Alternative Communication

paper_content:

The iPad and other mobile technologies provide powerful new tools to potentially enhance communication for individuals with developmental disabilities, acquired neurogenic disorders, and degenerative neurological conditions. These mobile technologies offer a number of potential benefi ts, including: (a) increased awareness and social acceptance of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), (b) greater consumer empowerment in accessing AAC solutions, (c) increased adoption of AAC technologies, (d) greater functionality and interconnectivity, and (e) greater diffusion of AAC research and development. However, there remain a number of signifi cant challenges that must be addressed if these benefi ts are to be fully realized: (a) to ensure the focus is on communication, not just technology, (b) to develop innovative models of AAC service delivery to ensure successful outcomes, (c) to ensure ease of access for all individuals who require AAC, and, (d) to maximize AAC solutions to support a wide variety of communication functions. There is an urgent need for effective collaboration among key stakeholders to support research and development activities, and to ensure the successful implementation of mobile technologies to enhance communication outcomes for individuals who require AAC and their families.
---
paper_title: Challenges and opportunities in augmentative and alternative communication: Research and technology development to enhance communication and participation for individuals with complex communication needs

paper_content:

AbstractThe field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has witnessed significant changes since its inception. AAC services are now considered for a much greater number of individuals...
---
paper_title: Wearable augmentative and alternative communication device for paralysis victims using Brute Force Algorithm for pattern recognition

paper_content:

In this study, the aim is to design and build a wearable Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device that converts discrete breathing patterns into pre-defined words to help paralysis victims communicate their needs. In line with this, classification of breath signals into heavy and soft blow to create discrete breathing patterns were investigated. Paralysis victims in a certain age group with no loss of cognitive function shall be the concern of study. In the design that there were no possible threshold values that can be set as constants to classify breath signals into soft and heavy blow. The amplitude of the heavy and soft blow differed in every person based from the conducted statistical test producing a wide deviation, possible overlapping and making no possible threshold value. With this in mind, the researchers developed a program using Brute Force Algorithm and asks the user to register his/her soft and heavy blow during initialization and use it as the threshold upon usage. The accuracy of the device was tested using Standard Error of the Mean and scored 15.45 ± 0.1141 score out of 16.
---
paper_title: An Open Conversation on Using Eye-Gaze Methods in Studies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

paper_content:

Purpose Eye-gaze methods have the potential to advance the study of neurodevelopmental disorders. Despite their increasing use, challenges arise in using these methods with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and in reporting sufficient methodological detail such that the resulting research is replicable and interpretable. Method This tutorial presents key considerations involved in designing and conducting eye-gaze studies for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and proposes conventions for reporting the results of such studies. Results Methodological decisions (e.g., whether to use automated eye tracking or manual coding, implementing strategies to scaffold children's performance, defining valid trials) have cascading effects on the conclusions drawn from eye-gaze data. Research reports that include specific information about procedures, missing data, and selection of participants will facilitate interpretation and replication. Conclusions Eye-gaze methods provide exciting opportunit...
---
paper_title: Before your very eyes: the value and limitations of eye tracking in medical education

paper_content:

CONTEXT ::: Medicine is a highly visual discipline. Physicians from many specialties constantly use visual information in diagnosis and treatment. However, they are often unable to explain how they use this information. Consequently, it is unclear how to train medical students in this visual processing. Eye tracking is a research technique that may offer answers to these open questions, as it enables researchers to investigate such visual processes directly by measuring eye movements. This may help researchers understand the processes that support or hinder a particular learning outcome. ::: ::: ::: AIM ::: In this article, we clarify the value and limitations of eye tracking for medical education researchers. For example, eye tracking can clarify how experience with medical images mediates diagnostic performance and how students engage with learning materials. Furthermore, eye tracking can also be used directly for training purposes by displaying eye movements of experts in medical images. ::: ::: ::: CONCLUSIONS ::: Eye movements reflect cognitive processes, but cognitive processes cannot be directly inferred from eye-tracking data. In order to interpret eye-tracking data properly, theoretical models must always be the basis for designing experiments as well as for analysing and interpreting eye-tracking data. The interpretation of eye-tracking data is further supported by sound experimental design and methodological triangulation.
---
paper_title: Breathing Pattern Interpretation as an Alternative and Effective Voice Communication Solution

paper_content:

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems tend to rely on the interpretation of purposeful gestures for interaction. Existing AAC methods could be cumbersome and limit the solutions in terms of versatility. The study aims to interpret breathing patterns (BPs) to converse with the outside world by means of a unidirectional microphone and researches breathing-pattern interpretation (BPI) to encode messages in an interactive manner with minimal training. We present BP processing work with (1) output synthesized machine-spoken words (SMSW) along with single-channel Weiner filtering (WF) for signal de-noising, and (2) k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classification of BPs associated with embedded dynamic time warping (DTW). An approved protocol to collect analogue modulated BP sets belonging to 4 distinct classes with 10 training BPs per class and 5 live BPs per class was implemented with 23 healthy subjects. An 86% accuracy of k-NN classification was obtained with decreasing error rates of 17%, 14%, and 11% for the live classifications of classes 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The results express a systematic reliability of 89% with increased familiarity. The outcomes from the current AAC setup recommend a durable engineering solution directly beneficial to the sufferers.
---
paper_title: Smartphone-Based Gaze Gesture Communication for People with Motor Disabilities

paper_content:

Current eye-tracking input systems for people with ALS or other motor impairments are expensive, not robust under sunlight, and require frequent re-calibration and substantial, relatively immobile setups. Eye-gaze transfer (e-tran) boards, a low-tech alternative, are challenging to master and offer slow communication rates. To mitigate the drawbacks of these two status quo approaches, we created GazeSpeak, an eye gesture communication system that runs on a smartphone, and is designed to be low-cost, robust, portable, and easy-to-learn, with a higher communication bandwidth than an e-tran board. GazeSpeak can interpret eye gestures in real time, decode these gestures into predicted utterances, and facilitate communication, with different user interfaces for speakers and interpreters. Our evaluations demonstrate that GazeSpeak is robust, has good user satisfaction, and provides a speed improvement with respect to an e-tran board; we also identify avenues for further improvement to low-cost, low-effort gaze-based communication technologies.
---
paper_title: Non-intrusive infrared-free eye tracking method

paper_content:

In the paper a technique of eye tracking based on visible light is presented. The approach described does not require an additional hardware equipment used in the infrared eye tracking system. First, examples of existing eye tracking techniques were presented. Then, the proposed algorithm of image processing and the process of determining the eye position are described. The engineered eye tracking application was tested and the results of these tests are presented.
---
paper_title: In the Eye of the Beholder: A Survey of Models for Eyes and Gaze

paper_content:

Despite active research and significant progress in the last 30 years, eye detection and tracking remains challenging due to the individuality of eyes, occlusion, variability in scale, location, and light conditions. Data on eye location and details of eye movements have numerous applications and are essential in face detection, biometric identification, and particular human-computer interaction tasks. This paper reviews current progress and state of the art in video-based eye detection and tracking in order to identify promising techniques as well as issues to be further addressed. We present a detailed review of recent eye models and techniques for eye detection and tracking. We also survey methods for gaze estimation and compare them based on their geometric properties and reported accuracies. This review shows that, despite their apparent simplicity, the development of a general eye detection technique involves addressing many challenges, requires further theoretical developments, and is consequently of interest to many other domains problems in computer vision and beyond.
---
paper_title: A brain-computer interface for long-term independent home use

paper_content:

AbstractOur objective was to develop and validate a new brain-computer interface (BCI) system suitable for long-term independent home use by people with severe motor disabilities. The BCI was used by a 51-year-old male with ALS who could no longer use conventional assistive devices. Caregivers learned to place the electrode cap, add electrode gel, and turn on the BCI. After calibration, the system allowed the user to communicate via EEG. Re-calibration was performed remotely (via the internet), and BCI accuracy assessed in periodic tests. Reports of BCI usefulness by the user and the family were also recorded. Results showed that BCI accuracy remained at 83% (r = −.07, n.s.) for over 2.5 years (1.4% expected by chance). The BCI user and his family state that the BCI had restored his independence in social interactions and at work. He uses the BCI to run his NIH-funded research laboratory and to communicate via e-mail with family, friends, and colleagues. In addition to this first user, several other simil...
---
paper_title: Developing stimulus presentation on mobile devices for a truly portable SSVEP-based BCI

paper_content:

This study integrates visual stimulus presentation and near real-time data processing on a mobile device (e.g. a Tablet or a cell-phone) to implement a steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP)-based brain-computer interface (BCI). The goal of this study is to increase the practicability, portability and ubiquity of an SSVEP-based BCI for daily use. The accuracy of flickering frequencies on the mobile SSVEP BCI system was tested against that on a laptop/desktop used in our previous studies. This study then analyzed the power spectrum density of the electroencephalogram signals elicited by the visual stimuli rendered on the mobile BCIs. Finally, this study performed an online test with the Tablet-based BCI system and obtained an averaged information transfer rate of 33.87 bits/min in three subjects. The current integration leads to a truly practical and ubiquitous SSVEP BCI on mobile devices for real-life applications.
---
paper_title: Brain–Computer Interfaces for Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A Tutorial

paper_content:

Purpose Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to improve communication for people who require but are unable to use traditional augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device...
---
paper_title: Telling tales: unlocking the potential of AAC technologies

paper_content:

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has been transformed by the social media revolution made possible by the emergence of mobile technology. The cumbersome dedicated devices of the 1970s have evolved into a burgeoning AAC app industry. However, the limited use and abandonment of AAC technologies remains high. Unlocking the untapped potential of technology requires a paradigm shift in the design of AAC technologies by building systems that minimize the cognitive load placed on users, adapting to their individual physical and language needs. Telling Tales shares insights and stories of how the combination of user-centred design, interdisciplinary research and the application of intelligent computing is providing a vision of future generations of AAC technologies.
---
paper_title: A Review and Analysis of Eye-Gaze Estimation Systems, Algorithms and Performance Evaluation Methods in Consumer Platforms

paper_content:

In this paper, a review is presented for the research on eye gaze estimation techniques and applications, which has progressed in diverse ways over the past two decades. Several generic eye gaze use-cases are identified: desktop, TV, head-mounted, automotive, and handheld devices. Analysis of the literature leads to the identification of several platform specific factors that influence gaze tracking accuracy. A key outcome from this review is the realization of a need to develop standardized methodologies for the performance evaluation of gaze tracking systems and achieve consistency in their specification and comparative evaluation. To address this need, the concept of a methodological framework for practical evaluation of different gaze tracking systems is proposed.
---
paper_title: A cost-effective solution for eye-gaze assistive technology

paper_content:

The problem of assisting people with special needs is assuming a central role in our society, and information and communication technologies are asked to have a key role in aiding people with both physical and cognitive disabilities. This paper describes an eye tracking system, whose strong points are the simplicity and the consequent affordability of costs, designed and implemented to allow people with severe motor disabilities to use gaze as an input device for selecting areas on a computer screen. The motivation for this kind of input device, together with the communication impairments that it may help to solve are reported in the paper, that then describes the adopted technical solution, compared to existing approaches, and reports the results obtained by its experimentation.
---
paper_title: Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice

paper_content:

Part 1: Introduction and Framework 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Framework for Assistive Technologies 3. Disabled Human User of Assistive Technologies Part 2: Service Delivery in Assistive Technologies 4. Delivering Assistive Technology Services to the Consumer 5. Funding Assistive Technology Services and Systems Part 3: The Activities: General Purpose Assistive Technologies 6. Seating Systems as Extrinsic Enablers for Assistive Technologies 7. Human/Assistive Technology Interface 8. Sensory Aids for Persons with Visual Impairments 9. Sensory Aids for Persons with Auditory Impairments Part 4: The Activities: Performance Areas 10. Assistive Technologies for Cognitive Augmentation 11. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems 12. Technologies That Enable Mobility 13. Technologies That Aid Transportation 14. Technologies That Aid Manipulation and Control of the Environment Part 5: Contexts for Assistive Technology Applications 15. Assistive Technologies in the Context of the Classroom 16. Assistive Technologies in the Context of Work Glossary Resources Index
---
paper_title: In the Eye of the Beholder: A Survey of Models for Eyes and Gaze

paper_content:

Despite active research and significant progress in the last 30 years, eye detection and tracking remains challenging due to the individuality of eyes, occlusion, variability in scale, location, and light conditions. Data on eye location and details of eye movements have numerous applications and are essential in face detection, biometric identification, and particular human-computer interaction tasks. This paper reviews current progress and state of the art in video-based eye detection and tracking in order to identify promising techniques as well as issues to be further addressed. We present a detailed review of recent eye models and techniques for eye detection and tracking. We also survey methods for gaze estimation and compare them based on their geometric properties and reported accuracies. This review shows that, despite their apparent simplicity, the development of a general eye detection technique involves addressing many challenges, requires further theoretical developments, and is consequently of interest to many other domains problems in computer vision and beyond.
---
paper_title: An Open Conversation on Using Eye-Gaze Methods in Studies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

paper_content:

Purpose Eye-gaze methods have the potential to advance the study of neurodevelopmental disorders. Despite their increasing use, challenges arise in using these methods with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and in reporting sufficient methodological detail such that the resulting research is replicable and interpretable. Method This tutorial presents key considerations involved in designing and conducting eye-gaze studies for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and proposes conventions for reporting the results of such studies. Results Methodological decisions (e.g., whether to use automated eye tracking or manual coding, implementing strategies to scaffold children's performance, defining valid trials) have cascading effects on the conclusions drawn from eye-gaze data. Research reports that include specific information about procedures, missing data, and selection of participants will facilitate interpretation and replication. Conclusions Eye-gaze methods provide exciting opportunit...
---
paper_title: Before your very eyes: the value and limitations of eye tracking in medical education

paper_content:

CONTEXT ::: Medicine is a highly visual discipline. Physicians from many specialties constantly use visual information in diagnosis and treatment. However, they are often unable to explain how they use this information. Consequently, it is unclear how to train medical students in this visual processing. Eye tracking is a research technique that may offer answers to these open questions, as it enables researchers to investigate such visual processes directly by measuring eye movements. This may help researchers understand the processes that support or hinder a particular learning outcome. ::: ::: ::: AIM ::: In this article, we clarify the value and limitations of eye tracking for medical education researchers. For example, eye tracking can clarify how experience with medical images mediates diagnostic performance and how students engage with learning materials. Furthermore, eye tracking can also be used directly for training purposes by displaying eye movements of experts in medical images. ::: ::: ::: CONCLUSIONS ::: Eye movements reflect cognitive processes, but cognitive processes cannot be directly inferred from eye-tracking data. In order to interpret eye-tracking data properly, theoretical models must always be the basis for designing experiments as well as for analysing and interpreting eye-tracking data. The interpretation of eye-tracking data is further supported by sound experimental design and methodological triangulation.
---
paper_title: Eye Tracking Research to Answer Questions about Augmentative and Alternative Communication Assessment and Intervention

paper_content:

AbstractRecently, eye tracking technologies (i.e., technologies that automatically track the point of an individual's gaze while that person views or interacts with a visual image) have become available for research purposes. Based on the sampling of the orientation of the individual's eyes, researchers can quantify which locations within the visual image were fixated (viewed), for how long, and how many times. These automated eye tracking research technologies open up a wealth of avenues for investigating how individuals with developmental or acquired communication disabilities may respond to aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. In this paper, we introduce basic terminology and explore some of the special challenges of conducting eye tracking research with populations with disabilities who might use AAC, including challenges of inferring attention from the presence of fixation and challenges related to calibration that may result from participant characteristics, behavioral idi...
---
paper_title: Real-world applications for brain-computer interface technology

paper_content:

The mission of the Georgia State University BrainLab is to create and adapt methods of human-computer interaction that will allow brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies to effectively control real-world applications. Most of the existing BCI applications were designed largely for training and demonstration purposes. Our goal is to research ways of transitioning BCI control skills learned in training to real-world scenarios. Our research explores some of the problems and challenges of combining BCI outputs with human-computer interface paradigms in order to achieve optimal interaction. We utilize a variety of application domains to compare and validate BCI interactions, including communication, environmental control, neural prosthetics, and creative expression. The goal of this research is to improve quality of life for those with severe disabilities.
---
paper_title: High-speed spelling with a noninvasive brain–computer interface

paper_content:

The past 20 years have witnessed unprecedented progress in brain–computer interfaces (BCIs). However, low communication rates remain key obstacles to BCI-based communication in humans. This study presents an electroencephalogram-based BCI speller that can achieve information transfer rates (ITRs) up to 5.32 bits per second, the highest ITRs reported in BCI spellers using either noninvasive or invasive methods. Based on extremely high consistency of frequency and phase observed between visual flickering signals and the elicited single-trial steady-state visual evoked potentials, this study developed a synchronous modulation and demodulation paradigm to implement the speller. Specifically, this study proposed a new joint frequency-phase modulation method to tag 40 characters with 0.5-s-long flickering signals and developed a user-specific target identification algorithm using individual calibration data. The speller achieved high ITRs in online spelling tasks. This study demonstrates that BCIs can provide a truly naturalistic high-speed communication channel using noninvasively recorded brain activities.
---
paper_title: Telling tales: unlocking the potential of AAC technologies

paper_content:

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has been transformed by the social media revolution made possible by the emergence of mobile technology. The cumbersome dedicated devices of the 1970s have evolved into a burgeoning AAC app industry. However, the limited use and abandonment of AAC technologies remains high. Unlocking the untapped potential of technology requires a paradigm shift in the design of AAC technologies by building systems that minimize the cognitive load placed on users, adapting to their individual physical and language needs. Telling Tales shares insights and stories of how the combination of user-centred design, interdisciplinary research and the application of intelligent computing is providing a vision of future generations of AAC technologies.
---
paper_title: Deep Learning for Assistive Computer Vision

paper_content:

This paper revises the main advances in assistive computer vision recently fostered by deep learning. To this aim, we first discuss how the application of deep learning in computer vision has contributed to the development of assistive techinologies, then analyze the recent advances in assistive technologies achieved in five main areas, namely, object classification and localization, scene understanding, human pose estimation and tracking, action/event recognition and anticipation. The paper is concluded with a discussion and insights for future directions.
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paper_title: Interventions Using High-Technology Communication Devices: A State of the Art Review

paper_content:

Background/Aims: In the last 20 years the range of high-technology augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids has rapidly expanded. This review aimed t
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Title: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Advances: A Review of Configurations for Individuals with a Speech Disability

Section 1: Introduction
Description 1: Provide an overview of speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN), the types of AAC, and summarize the structure of the paper.

Section 2: Human Interaction
Description 2: Discuss modeling user interactions with assistive technologies and detail the Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) model.

Section 3: Sensing Modalities and Their Functionalities
Description 3: Present high-tech AAC devices and their functionalities in signal acquisition, machine learning, and output generation.

Section 4: AAC Signal Sources and Associated Processing
Description 4: Explore the array of AAC interfaces based on signal acquisition methods like eye tracking, switches, touchscreens, breath-activated systems, and brain-computer interfaces.

Section 5: Outputs and Speech Generating Devices
Description 5: Analyze high-tech AAC systems on their output formats like symbols and synthesized speech, and assess their strengths and limitations.

Section 6: Comparison of Existing AAC Signal Sensing Methods
Description 6: Compare different AAC signal sensing methods in terms of ease of access, affordability, ease of programming, maintaining, portability, and conversational rates.

Section 7: Conclusions
Description 7: Summarize the primary findings of the review, highlighting the strengths, limitations, and potential of AAC technologies.

Section 8: Future Research and Prospective Advances in AAC
Description 8: Provide recommendations for future research, discuss the potential for integrating AI, deep learning, intelligent AAC, and mobile applications to enhance user experience and device functionality.