A Multiple Camera Tongue Switch for a Child With Severe Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy
By Leung, Brian; Chau, Tom; Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 58-68Publication Date: January 2010
Case study outlines the development of a non-contact tongue protrusion computer access modality facilitated by a video camera system for a boy with severe spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. As the 7-year-old participant was able to produce consistent, purposeful tongue protrusions, this means of single switch access was selected. Tongue protrusion is captured by one central and two peripheral video cameras in a linear array relative to the user. The multiple camera tongue switch was tested with the participant after he had undergone three months of tongue protrusion training. A five session picture matching protocol was presented to the boy on a desktop computer. The tongue switch interfaced with the computer via a modified computer mouse, generating a left mouse click upon activation. The multiple camera tongue switch achieved an average sensitivity of 82 percent and specificity of 80 percent. In three of the experiment sessions, the peripheral cameras were associated with most of the true positive switch activations, which would have been missed by a setup of only a center camera. The authors conclude that these results support the further development of a multi-camera, non-contact tongue protrusion access modality for individuals with severe motor disabilities but preserved tongue function.
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Limited (Website:http://taylorandfrancis.org)
International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (Web Site: http://www.isprm.org )
