A Sensor-Based Wireless Head-Mounted Mouse for People with Upper Limb Disability

Abstract

Disabilities of the upper limb, which may be caused either due to accidents, neurological disorders, or even birth defects, impose limitations and restrictions on the interaction with a computer for the concerned individuals, while using a generic optical mouse. In this thesis, we propose the design and development of the working prototype of a sensor-based wireless head-mounted Assistive Mouse Controller (AMC), facilitating interaction with a computer for people with upper limb disability. Leveraging a combination of low-cost, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and Infrared (IR) sensors, the proposed AMC tracks the user’s head rotation and cheek muscle twitches for mouse cursor movement on the screen and actuation of different mouse clicks, respectively. The performance of the AMC has been juxtaposed with that of a generic optical mouse in different pointing tasks, utilizing Fitts’s law, as well as in typing tasks, using a virtual keyboard. Furthermore, this work also provides an in-depth analysis of the usability, user satisfaction, and acceptability of the proposed AMC, featuring the System Usability Scale (SUS), the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology 2.0 (QUEST 2.0) framework, and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), respectively. Highlights of the results of these analyses along with the research challenges and potential avenues for future research have been reported as well.