Development of a Generic Assistive Platform to Aid Patients with Motor Disabilities

Abstract

The development of a generic platform, which can assist patients suffering from a range of motor disabilities to perform everyday tasks is described. Methodologies were established, whereby the design could be made sufficiently flexible, that it could be programmed to suit people with a wide variety and with varying severity of motor disabilities, in terms of their needs and level of functional impairment. This needed to be achieved without redesigning the system for each person. Suitable sensors were chosen to detect the residual motor function of the disabled individual, while being noninvasive and safe for use. These sensors were connected to a signal selection and conditioning circuit and an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). This served as an interface between the hardware and a stand-alone software application, developed to provide all the customisability and functionality for the system. The software application allowed the user to customise the digital signal processing of the various input signals, as well as allowing a user to calibrate the level at which the input from a particular sensor, triggered an output response. This helped ensure that only voluntary actions resulted in an output response. The software also facilitated the user customising the output function required. The proof-of-concept was tested by setting up the system to allow the user to operate a computer. By having volunteers with disabilities test the system, it was determined that the assistive platform was, in general, capable of satisfying various users’ diverse requirements.