AsTeRICS: a new flexible solution for people with motor disabilities in upper limbs and its implication for rehabilitation procedures

Abstract

Purpose: To present the AsTeRICS construction set, and examine different combinations of sensors installed in the platform and how users interact with them. Method: Nearly 50 participants from Austria, Poland and Spain were included in the study. They had a heterogeneous range of diagnoses, but as a common feature all of them experienced motor limitations in their upper limbs. The study included a 1 h session with each participant where the user interacted with a personalized combination of sensors, based on a previous assessment on their motor capabilities performed by healthcare professionals. The sensors worked as substitutes for a standard QWERTY keyboard and a standard mouse. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain participants’ opinions. All collected data were analyzed based on the qualitative methodology. Results: The findings illustrated that AsTeRICS is a flexible platform whose sensors can adapt to different degrees of users’ motor capabilities, thus facilitating in most cases the interaction of the participants with a common computer. Conclusion: AsTeRICS platform can improve the interaction between people with mobility limitations and computers. It can provide access to new technologies and become a promising tool that can be integrated in physical rehabilitation programs for people with motor disabilities in their upper limbs.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• The AsTeRICS platform offers an interesting tool to interface and support the computerized rehabilitation program of the patients.

• Due to AsTeRICS platform high usability features, family and rehabilitation professionals can learn how to use the AsTeRICS platform quickly fostering the key role of their involvement on patients’ rehabilitation.

• AsTeRICS is a flexible, extendable, adaptable and affordable technology adapted for using computer, environmental control, mobile phone, rehabilitation programs and mechatronic systems.

• AsTeRICS makes possible an easy reconfiguration and integration of new functionalities, such as biofeedback rehabilitation, without major changes in the system.

• Ambient-assisted living
• assistive technologies
• BCI, component-based software
• embedded
• motor disability
• user experience