Thrust 3: Bridging the Gap in Accessible Wheelchair and Computer Control
Thrust 3 will develop a novel, multimodal and flexible, control interface for wheelchair operation and computer use. Its defining features will be an ability to (1) conform to the user and capture control signals from nearly any place on the body with residual movement, (2) issue proportional and discrete control commands in multiple dimensions, simultaneously, and (3) be used in concert with existing control interfaces.
The benefit to society will be to expand the options for computer operation and fill a gap in wheelchair control, where persons unable to operate joysticks now are empowered to issue fully-expressive—proportional and multidimensional—control commands.