Morse code-based communication system focused on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients

Abstract

This application is based on face recognition and facial features techniques to extract Regions Of Interest (ROI) by applying Haar filters and cascade classifier with OpenCV implemented in Visual Studio C#. Likewise, a software program was developed to transform blinkings into words, along with a graphical user interface, in which the spanish language alphabet letters and predifined phrases are displayed., as a consequence, the ALS patient has the possibility to structure sentences, thus, facilitating his/her communication process with relatives and medical staff. Several tests were applied to five ALS patients (50 years, on average) with an advanced stage of the disease, that's to say, they have lost their speech ability and movement in both upper and lower extremities. They were trained in how to use the application software by means of simple tasks such as reading the spanish alphabet. A first group was formed to help them out with the Morse code, what made them easier to understand the spanish alphabet and its assignment to each blinking. This test was done by using two different environments, namely, one environment with low light intensity and the other one with normal light intensity. A second group was formed with patients without any previous knowledge.