Development of an integrated pointing device driver for the disabled

Abstract

Purpose. To help people with disabilities such as those with spinal cord injury (SCI) to effectively utilise commercial pointing devices to operate computers. This study proposes a novel method to integrate the functions of commercial pointing devices.

Method. Utilising software technology to develop an integrated pointing device driver (IPDD) for a computer operating system.

Results. The proposed IPDD has the following benefits: (1) it does not require additional hardware cost or circuit preservations, (2) it supports all standard interfaces of commercial pointing devices, including PS/2, USB and wireless interfaces and (3) it can integrate any number of devices. The IPDD can be selected and combined according to their physical restriction.

Conclusions. The IPDD is a novel method of integrating commercial pointing devices. Through IPDD, people with disabilities can choose a suitable combination of commercial pointing devices to achieve full cursor control and optimise operational performance. In contrast with previous studies, the software-based solution does not require additional hardware or circuit preservations, and it can support unlimited devices. In summary, the IPDD has the benefits of flexibility, low cost and high-device compatibility.

Keywords:

• Spinal cord injury
• disabilities
• computer pointing device
• integrate pointing device driver

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.