Video signal analyser with applications for head movement monitoring of severely handicapped people.
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Persons with Disabilities↗
Biomedical subjects
E A Dymond
Publications and source records attributed to E A Dymond.
A week in the life of Mary: the impact of microtechnology on a severely handicapped person.
Microtechnology has an important role to play in maximizing the independence of severely handicapped people, especially those with few reliable voluntary movements. Such movements must be harnessed efficiently to provide control over all aspects of life including communication, mobility and the immediate environment. To highlight the role of microtechnology in the day to day life of a severely handicapped person living at home, a case study is presented. The systems Mary uses for communication and environmental control are described and their limitations discussed. Adaptive man-machine interfaces are proposed and foreseeable developments in the fields of speech technology and robotics are considered. Successful introduction of high technology devices requires a full appreciation of medical and social factors as well as those relating to the technology. This is achieved through close partnership between the clinical engineer and the rehabilitation consultant to the benefit of the severely handicapped person.
Communication Devices for People with Disabilities↗
Posture control using electrical stimulation biofeedback: a pilot study.
The investigation studied the effects of biofeedback on the sitting posture of a 14 year old girl with cerebral palsy. The subject's posture was quantified using a video analysis technique which established the threshold of poor posture at 30 degrees from the vertical plane. A stimulator system was designed using an adapted drop foot stimulator and a custom made controller with a mercury tilt switch as the posture angle transducer. If posture became greater than 30 degrees tactile electrical stimulation was administered to the subject's lower back. Repetitive stimuli occurred on non-correction of posture, with a maximum of 4 consecutive stimuli, upon which an alarm was activated. 10 training sessions of 20 min duration were completed over a 4 week period, monitored using a data logger. Following initial improvement the daily results show a gradual deterioration in posture, whilst post-trial video analysis indicates a significant improvement in posture. An improved response to the alarm stimulus is observed. Reasons for these conflicting findings are discussed.
Adolescent↗