Increasing Water Access for Individuals Living with Spinal Cord Injury Using an Innovative Smart Faucet.

Abstract

This project aimed to assess the functionality of an innovative fountain faucet, called the Access-H2O^™ faucet, to enable and empower individuals living with spinal cord injury (SCI) to gain water access independently for activities of daily living (ADLs). The faucet integrates electromechanical controls, software programs, and remote sensors to control the water arch stream. Eighteen SCI subjects were recruited to test the faucet's functionality by using eye gaze, voice, and motion sensors to activate fountain mode, washing mode, and grooming mode for three ADLs: drinking, rinsing, and grooming. The SCI subjects achieved an average success rate of 100% in activating the three types of sensors for the three faucet modes. They achieved 100% success rates for drinking and rinsing, and 88.9% for grooming using the eye-gaze sensor. Using the voice sensor, they achieved a 100% success rate across all three ADLs. With the motion sensor, they achieved a 94.4% success rate for all three ADLs. The average System Usability Scale score reported by SCI subjects was 85 for voice, motion, and eye-gaze, indicating excellent usability of the faucet. This study provided preliminary insight into the potential for this innovative faucet to empower independent drinking, rinsing, and grooming in individuals living with SCI.