Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology最新文献

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Dementia-related needs through the lens of social robotics: a scoping review protocol.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-03-05 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2471483
Berk Zafer, Lucia Carragher, Perry Share, Jamie Ward, Frank Brady
{"title":"Dementia-related needs through the lens of social robotics: a scoping review protocol.","authors":"Berk Zafer, Lucia Carragher, Perry Share, Jamie Ward, Frank Brady","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2471483","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2025.2471483","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Social robotics, a hybrid discipline that combines robotics with social sciences, has been receiving substantial investments from governments due to the ongoing challenges posed by ageing populations worldwide. Dementia is a neurodegenerative syndrome that requires long-term care and has therefore become an important area for social robotics. The scientific literature has many reports on the \"needs\" associated with the dementia care ecosystem; however, only a small portion of those needs are currently translated to discussions on social robots. The planned scoping review aims to synthesise evidence from the global scientific literature about the needs identified by researchers involved in social robotics. The comparison of this specific subset of needs with the broader landscape of dementia-related needs can help reveal research gaps. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodological framework, this scoping review will examine dementia-related needs in terms of social robotics across eleven electronic databases. Evidence related to the needs of all stakeholders, including people with dementia, formal and informal carers, roboticists, researchers, health and social care professionals, and policymakers will be systematically synthesised. This comprehensive review will be the first to examine all reported needs for care stakeholders within the context of social robotics and human-robot interactions (HRI). The findings, which will be systematically synthesised and presented, are anticipated to inform a broad interdisciplinary audience and will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143568540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Designing user-centered policy for social robotics: policy analysis and consultation with the aging and dementia community.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-03-05 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2471050
Jill A Dosso, Susanna E Martin, Haiger Ye, Gabriella K Guerra, Anna Riminchan, Julie M Robillard
{"title":"Designing user-centered policy for social robotics: policy analysis and consultation with the aging and dementia community.","authors":"Jill A Dosso, Susanna E Martin, Haiger Ye, Gabriella K Guerra, Anna Riminchan, Julie M Robillard","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2471050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2025.2471050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Social robots are a promising assistive technology to support older adults in home and healthcare environments. Engaging end-users in all stages of social robot research, development, and deployment is critical to adoption. However, the voices of end-users are missing from policies about social robots. This work consults with end-users of social robots to capture their perspectives on social robot policies and co-create expert-driven policy recommendations to guide the future implementation of social robots for aging.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>In this two-part study, we performed a content analysis of <i>n</i> = 47 international policies on social robotics followed by seventeen semi-structured interviews with experts on aging and dementia from both professional (<i>n</i> = 6) and lived experience (<i>n</i> = 11) perspectives to capture their opinions about social robot policies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our analysis highlights alignments between social robot policy recommendations and perspectives of the dementia community including upholding respect for human rights and dignity, the need for clear and consistent regulation, and the need for public engagement. Participants further recommended that policies should prioritize cost and accessibility considerations and focus on aging- and dementia-specific considerations. Participants reported that the responsibility for social robot policy development lay primarily with governments and the healthcare sector. Increased consultation with end-users, minority groups and medical professionals was suggested for future policy development.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings contribute to the ethical co-creation of social robots as assistive technologies for older adults and provide actionable steps for the development of policies that reflect the values and perspectives of end-users.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143558359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Adoption and usability of a braille communication assistive device (CAD) for face-to-face and remote communication in two users with deafblindness.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-03-04 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2470463
Claude Vincent, Walter Wittich, Normand Boucher, Mathieu Hotton, François Bergeron, Bertrand Achou, Johannie Fex, Cindy Belec, Marie-Ève Schmouth, Frédéric S Dumont
{"title":"Adoption and usability of a braille communication assistive device (CAD) for face-to-face and remote communication in two users with deafblindness.","authors":"Claude Vincent, Walter Wittich, Normand Boucher, Mathieu Hotton, François Bergeron, Bertrand Achou, Johannie Fex, Cindy Belec, Marie-Ève Schmouth, Frédéric S Dumont","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2470463","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2025.2470463","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>There are currently no best practice training methods with communication assistive devices (CAD) for individuals with deafblindness using a braille display notetaker connected to an iPhone. Therefore, to capture adoption and usability of braille CAD in clinic, the Technology development and evaluation model of Schulz et al. (2015) was applied. Objectives were 1-to measure the level of difficulty in life habits involving communication before, during and after training with a braille CAD, 2-to document the feasibility of training for face-to-face and remote communication, 3-to simulate and assess communication exchanges with an unknown hearing person face-to-face, and 4-to document the long-term usability and adoption of CAD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A case study involved a 68-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man with Usher syndrome who have recently learned braille. Therapies were 90 min./week and 120 min. every two weeks. Data were collected with the Life habit 4.0 adapted (-3, 0, 6, 18 months), clinician workbook (monthly), filming scenario testing of communication (at 8-10 months) and observation grids (experience of usability, communication interaction).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results at 18 months revealed that communication with hearing persons, travelling outside the home alone and conducting non accessible leisure were still very difficult to impossible. Clinicians accomplished 12 modalities in therapy sessions. They encountered 14 challenges for face-to-face communication due to the instability of VoiceOver<sup>®</sup> with Notes<sup>®</sup> and French language skills. Scenarios involving commercial exchanges were not efficient (buying a pen, renewing health insurance card).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Adoption of a braille CAD for remote communication has proven satisfactory, effective but not efficient. Face-to-face communication has been non-adopted.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143558358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
From acceptance to implementation: student speech-language pathologists' perspectives on using digital technologies in practice.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-02-27 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2472262
Hanna Mytsyk, Serhii Kovachov, Yana Suchikova
{"title":"From acceptance to implementation: student speech-language pathologists' perspectives on using digital technologies in practice.","authors":"Hanna Mytsyk, Serhii Kovachov, Yana Suchikova","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2472262","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2025.2472262","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This qualitative study explores the perceptions of digital technologies among student speech-language pathologists (SLPs) at the bachelor's and master's levels, focusing on key factors influencing their acceptance and conditions fostering their intention to use these technologies in future speech-language pathology services. A total of 16 student SLPs, all currently enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs, participated in this study. Their views on using digital technologies were gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), which examines how factors such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions affect their acceptance and use of digital technology. The findings revealed that these students generally have optimistic views on digital technologies, recognizing their role in sustaining speech-language pathology services during emergencies. Findings indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions significantly shape student SLPs' intentions to use digital technologies. Themes beyond the UTAUT framework discovered in the study, such as confidence in one's digital skills and the impact of societal context, particularly the ongoing war in Ukraine, further emphasize the need for comprehensive strategies addressing both the psychological and practical dimensions of technology adoption. These strategies should ensure that student SLPs are equipped with the necessary skills, confidence, and support to integrate digital tools effectively in their professional practice. Participants emphasized the critical importance of institutional support, comprehensive training, and access to adequate resources to facilitate successful digital technology integration.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143524638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Haptics-based, higher-order sensory substitution designed for object negotiation in blindness and low vision: Virtual Whiskers.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-02-21 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2458112
Junchi Feng, Giles Hamilton-Fletcher, Todd E Hudson, Mahya Beheshti, Maurizio Porfiri, John-Ross Rizzo
{"title":"Haptics-based, higher-order sensory substitution designed for object negotiation in blindness and low vision: Virtual Whiskers.","authors":"Junchi Feng, Giles Hamilton-Fletcher, Todd E Hudson, Mahya Beheshti, Maurizio Porfiri, John-Ross Rizzo","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2458112","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2458112","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>People with blindness and low vision (pBLV) face challenges in navigating. Mobility aids are crucial for enhancing independence and safety. This paper presents an electronic travel aid that leverages a haptic-based, higher-order sensory substitution approach called Virtual Whiskers, designed to help pBLV navigate obstacles effectively, efficiently, and safely.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Virtual Whiskers is equipped with a plurality of modular vibration units that operate independently to deliver haptic feedback to users. Virtual Whiskers features two navigation modes: open path mode and depth mode, each addressing obstacle negotiation from different perspectives. The open path mode detects and delineates a traversable area within an analyzed field of view and then guides the user in the most traversable direction with adaptive vibratory feedback. Depth mode assists users in negotiating obstacles by highlighting spatial areas with prominent obstacles; haptic feedback is generated by re-mapping proximity to vibration intensity. We recruited 10 participants with blindness or low vision for user testing of Virtual Whiskers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both approaches reduce hesitation time (idle periods) and decrease the number of cane contacts with objects and walls.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Virtual Whiskers is a promising obstacle negotiation strategy that demonstrates great potential to assist with pBLV navigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143473351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Impact of holding a badminton racket on spatiotemporal parameters during manual wheelchair propulsion based on forward and backward propulsion.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-02-18 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2459885
Ilona Alberca, Félix Chénier, Bruno Watier, Florian Brassart, Jean-Marc Vallier, Arnaud Faupin
{"title":"Impact of holding a badminton racket on spatiotemporal parameters during manual wheelchair propulsion based on forward and backward propulsion.","authors":"Ilona Alberca, Félix Chénier, Bruno Watier, Florian Brassart, Jean-Marc Vallier, Arnaud Faupin","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2459885","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2025.2459885","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluates the impact of a badminton racket on forward and backward propulsion in wheelchair badminton, aiming to discern if this impact varies between propulsion directions. Nineteen experienced wheelchair badminton players underwent propulsion tests with and without a badminton racket. In forward propulsion when comparing the same hand with and without a racket, the badminton racket distinctly alters propulsion technique parameters depending on the propulsion direction. It increases sprint time by 4% to 5% and reduces mean, maximum, and peak velocities by 3% to 8% regardless of propulsion direction. Deceleration is also diminished by 9% to 11% with the racket in both directions, potentially decreasing overall performance. However, the comparison of data between the hand with a racket and the opposite hand without a racket did not reveal enough significant results to establish a negative effect of the racket. Notably, while the impact of the racket differs between propulsion directions, there is no significant difference in the effect between forward and backward propulsion. The use of a badminton racket influences propulsion technique parameters differently based on the propulsion direction (decrease in propulsion phase time during forward propulsion and the opposite during backward propulsion) and increases performance parameters such as velocity and deceleration consistently across both directions when comparing the same hand with and without a badminton racket. However, the direction of propulsion does not amplify the racket's effect. These findings underscore the importance for wheelchair badminton players to consider equipment effects on performance in both propulsions.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143442415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Optimal design of a wheelchair-mounted robotic arm for activities of daily living.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-02-18 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2459890
Javier Dario Sanjuan De Caro, Md Samiul Haque Sunny, Gabriela Davila Albor, Tanvir Ahmed, Md Mahbubur Rahman, Md Ishrak Islam Zarif, Asif Al Zubayer Swapnil, Inga Wang, Katie Schultz, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed, Mohammad H Rahman
{"title":"Optimal design of a wheelchair-mounted robotic arm for activities of daily living.","authors":"Javier Dario Sanjuan De Caro, Md Samiul Haque Sunny, Gabriela Davila Albor, Tanvir Ahmed, Md Mahbubur Rahman, Md Ishrak Islam Zarif, Asif Al Zubayer Swapnil, Inga Wang, Katie Schultz, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed, Mohammad H Rahman","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2459890","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2025.2459890","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The increasing prevalence of upper limb dysfunctions due to stroke, spinal cord injuries, and multiple sclerosis presents a critical challenge in assistive technology: designing robotic arms that are both energy‑efficient and capable of effectively performing activities of daily living (ADLs). This challenge is exacerbated by the need to ensure these devices are accessible for non‑expert users and can operate within the spatial constraints typical of everyday environments. Despite advancements in wheelchair‑mounted robotic arms (WMRAs), existing designs do not achieve an optimal balance-minimizing energy consumption and space while maximizing kinematic performance and workspace. Most robotic arms can perform a range of ADLs, but they do not account for outdoor environments where energy conservation is crucial. Furthermore, the need for WMRAs to be compact in idle configurations-essential for navigating through doors or between aisles-adds another layer of complexity to their design. This paper addresses these multifaceted design challenges by proposing a novel objective function to optimize the link lengths of WMRAs, aiming to reduce energy consumption without compromising the robots' operational capabilities.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>To achieve this optimization, the scatter search method was employed, incorporating considerations of collision and singularity avoidance while ensuring the arm remains compact when not in use. The proposed design was evaluated through simulations and experimental validation with both healthy subjects and individuals with lower limb dysfunctions.</p><p><strong>Results and conclusions: </strong>The optimized WMRA demonstrated significant improvements in energy efficiency and spatial adaptability while maintaining the required kinematic performance for ADLs. The validation process confirmed the practical applicability of the proposed design, highlighting its potential to enhance mobility and independence for individuals with upper limb impairments. This study contributes to the field of disability and rehabilitation by providing a structured approach to designing assistive robotic arms that better align with real‑world constraints and user needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143442417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Leveraging AI and customer reviews to evaluate technology used by people with disabilities.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-02-16 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2465603
Taylor Allen, Ari Horwitz, Stephen Sprigle
{"title":"Leveraging AI and customer reviews to evaluate technology used by people with disabilities.","authors":"Taylor Allen, Ari Horwitz, Stephen Sprigle","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2465603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2025.2465603","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mainstream and assistive technologies play a critical role in enhancing the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities. However, selecting appropriate technology for specific patients requires AT practitioners to navigate a vast number of available products. This study investigates the application of large language models (LLMs) to assist AT practitioners in identifying valuable product insights and informing technology recommendations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Keplo, an AI-driven customer review analysis platform, was utilized to evaluate six product categories: three mainstream products and three assistive technologies. Using Amazon product reviews, Keplo's initial analysis provides key product information including user demographics, usage patterns, strengths, weaknesses, and potential design improvements. This initial report was subsequently input into a custom GPT, developed by Keplo, to further extract valuable data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After applying prompt engineering, the GPT generated design considerations, product comparisons, and tailored suggestions for individuals with certain functional limitations, offering AT practitioners a detailed and comprehensive guide for product recommendations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings demonstrate that LLMs can effectively identify and extract product insights from customer reviews, streamlining the process of prescribing products for individuals with disabilities. The results also reflect limitations of LLM analysis and the need for AT Practitioners to critically review customer reviews for applicability to their clients.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143434159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Multi-faceted sensory substitution using wearable technology for curb alerting: a pilot investigation with persons with blindness and low vision.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-02-15 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2463541
Ligao Ruan, Giles Hamilton-Fletcher, Mahya Beheshti, Todd E Hudson, Maurizio Porfiri, John-Ross Rizzo
{"title":"Multi-faceted sensory substitution using wearable technology for curb alerting: a pilot investigation with persons with blindness and low vision.","authors":"Ligao Ruan, Giles Hamilton-Fletcher, Mahya Beheshti, Todd E Hudson, Maurizio Porfiri, John-Ross Rizzo","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2463541","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2463541","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Curbs separate the edge of raised sidewalks from the street and are crucial to locate in urban environments as they help delineate safe pedestrian zones from dangerous vehicular lanes. However, the curbs themselves are also significant navigation hazards, particularly for people who are blind or have low vision (pBLV). The challenges faced by pBLV in detecting and properly orienting themselves for these abrupt elevation changes can lead to falls and serious injuries. Despite recent advancements in assistive technologies, the detection and early warning of curbs remains a largely unsolved challenge. This paper aims to tackle this gap by introducing a novel, multi-faceted sensory substitution approach hosted on a smart wearable; the platform leverages an RGB camera and an embedded system to capture and segment curbs in real time and provide early warning and orientation information. The system utilizes a YOLOv8 segmentation model which has been trained on our custom curb dataset to interpret camera input. The system output consists of adaptive auditory beeps, abstract sonifications, and speech, which convey curb distance and orientation. Through human-subjects experimentation, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the system as compared to the white cane. Results show that our system can provide advanced warning through a larger safety window than the cane, while offering nearly identical curb orientation information. Future enhancements will focus on expanding our curb segmentation dataset, improving distance estimations through advanced 3D sensors and AI-models, refining system calibration and stability, and developing user-centric sonification methods to cater for a diverse range of visual impairments.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143425781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Durability and usability evaluation of a tilt-in-space manual wheelchair for children in India.
IF 1.9 4区 医学
Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology Pub Date : 2025-02-14 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2463552
Abigail Dumm, Ritu Ghosh, Sama Raju, Sureshkumar Kamalakannan, Soikat Ghosh Moulic, Anand Mhatre
{"title":"Durability and usability evaluation of a tilt-in-space manual wheelchair for children in India.","authors":"Abigail Dumm, Ritu Ghosh, Sama Raju, Sureshkumar Kamalakannan, Soikat Ghosh Moulic, Anand Mhatre","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2463552","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2025.2463552","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Around 8 million children with functional disabilities in India need postural support wheelchair designs. This study tests the durability and usability of a new tilt-in-space, postural support wheelchair design for children. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) wheelchair durability testing was followed by a mixed-method observational field with a purposively selected, diverse sample of children aged 3-17 with varying diagnoses needing a tilt-in-space wheelchair in the rural and urban community settings in South India. Children were fitted with appropriate size wheelchairs. Demographic information was collected at baseline. Customized rapid surveys and interviews evaluated usability, use satisfaction, and willingness to buy and use the wheelchair device at the 2- and 12-month follow-up visits. The wheelchair passed ISO durability testing without part failures. Twelve participants (<i>n</i> = 7 boys, <i>n</i> = 5 girls), aged 10.25 ± 2.67 years, reported high to moderate satisfaction of use. During follow-up, caregivers reported improvements in the child's physical function, social interaction, and time spent in the chair. No part failures were reported. Themes were found regarding the inappropriateness of previous wheelchair designs and the benefits for children's growth, function, and participation, as well as burden reduction for caregivers. The participants reported that they would buy the wheelchair for a price range of Rs. 15500-28751 ($186-346). The study results demonstrate the benefits of high-quality and usability of the postural support wheelchair design for children with functional disabilities. Such a design is necessary to promote growth, social skills, and reduced parental burden. Future studies should compare the design with wheelchairs currently prescribed in India.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143417076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
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