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Assistive Device: ALPHABITE - A communication device for people lacking speech and hand control
Joint project by Singapore Polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education
The Challenge:
Effective communication is a difficulty faced by many people who have impaired speech along with a lack of hand
control, which prevents them from writing or typing.
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The Solution:
A team of students from Singapore Polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) undertook the development of a fully
automated computer-controlled system for people with disabilities that prevent them from communicating effectively.
They developed a solution consisting of a FlexiForce sensor, a mouth guard, a LabVIEW program, and a hardware DAQ card.
The team, comprised of four Singapore Polytechnic students and two ITE students, identified three main areas to
explore - a sensor to activate word, a device that would exert force on this sensor, and software and hardware to
provide the automatic generation of the message and link the sensor to the computer.
| They selected Tekscan's FlexiForce sensor as it exhibits a high degree of linearity, low
hysteresis, and minimal drift compared to other thin-film force sensors. The team decided that the subject
would bite on a mouth guard to comfortably and effectively exert a force on the sensor. This action sends
a signal to the software program to display the appropriate letter or number, and ultimately the message the
person wishes to convey. |
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