DEVELOPMENT OF A CORDLESS COMPUTER INPUT DEVICE

THIS PROJECT WILL PRODUCE A CORDLESS OPTICAL INPUT DEVICE THAT WILL GIVE THE SEVERELY DISABLED PERSON A COMMUNICATION AID AND ACCESS TO USE OF THE MICROCOMPUTER. THE DEVICE TRANSMITS SHORT PULSES OF INFRARED LIGHT TOWARD THE USER THAT ARE REFLECTED BACK BY A REFLECTOR WORN BY THE USER. A CAMERA MEASURES THE REFLECTOR'S ROTATION AND POSITION CHANGES AND SENDS THEM TO THE COMPUTER. A POP-UP KEYBOARD ENABLES THE USER TO INPUT DATA. PHASE I WILL TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF THE OPTICAL HEADPOINTERAND WILL INCLUDE: (1) DEVELOPMENT OF A TEST SYSTEM TO FIND THE RANGE OF MOTION AND THE AMOUNT OF CONTROL THE DISABLED USER HAS OVER HIS OR HER MOVING PARTS; (2) DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTED SWITCHES AND THEIR MOUNTS FOR THE SELECTION PROCESS, INCLUDING TIME AND POSITION SWITCHING; (3) DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL SOFTWARE TO SECURE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ROTATION AND TRANSLATION; AND (4) A TEST PROGRAM, WHICH WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH PROFESSIONALS AND USERS IN THE DISABLED FIELD. PHASE II WILL FACILITATE THE FULL-SCALE ADAPTATION OF THIS DEVICE AND WILL INCLUDE: (1) MAKING A PILOT RUN, (2) PLACINGTHESE DEVICES IN SELECTED REHABILITATION CENTERS, AND (3) TESTING THE HARDWARE AND THE SOFTWARE DRIVERS WITH THE MOST COMMON COMPUTERS AND SOFTWARE.