TONGUE ACTIVATED COMPUTER CONTROL FOR THE HANDICAPPED

DEVELOPMENT OF A TONGUE ACTIVATED CONTROLLER WILL PERMIT HIGH LEVEL PARAPLEGICS AND QUADRAPLEGICS RAPID, VOICE INDEPENDENT COMPUTER INPUT AND DEVICE CONTROL. SINCE TONGUE FUNCTION CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE FINGERS IN SENSITIVITY, QUICKNESS AND SPACIAL AWARENESS, THE TONGUE IS AN IDEAL MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. OUR GOAL IS TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT A TONGUE CONTROLLED DEVICE AND TO INTERFACE THIS DEVICE TO ANY SUITABLE PERSONAL COMPUTER AND PROCESSING PACKAGES. PHASE I DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR DURING THE SIX MONTH PERIOD FOLLOWING THE AWARD OF THE GRANT. WE WILL COMPLETE THE INCORPORATION OF SWITCHES INTO A PALATAL SPLINT AND LINKAGE WITH THE PERSONAL COMPUTER, ARRIVING AT A WORKING PROTOTYPE. PHASE II WILL INVOLVE EXTENDED HUMAN FACTORS AND USER TESTING TO DEVELOP A COMMERCIALLY ACCEPTABLE PRODUCT. THE INTRA-ORAL PALATAL SPLINT TONGUE ACTIVATED COMPUTER CONTROLLER (TACC) GIVES LIMITED MOBILITY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH A COMPUTER DATA BANK OR TO OPERATE EQUIPMENT THAT NECESSITATES THE USE OF AN ALPHA-NUMERIC KEYBOARD. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THIS DEVICE, HANDICAPPED INDIVIDUALS MAY REGAIN CONTROL OVER THEIR SURROUNDINGS ONCE AGAIN, OR PERHAPS CONTROL THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES.