3D Printed Assistive Technology among Multiple Control Sites

In the current context, assistive technology is important to provide resources that allow people with some motor disabilities to perform tasks that were previously almost impossible. This project aims to present the development of an assistive technology system using 3D printing, achievable to reproduce, redesign, and low cost for the structural model. The literature presents several studies whose system control is automated or has only one control site method, a fact that can make it possible to perform unwanted actions by the user. In the present project, it was decided to carry out acquisitions of two different control sites from user commands: movements from the user's jaw or lips and head. To avoid control errors and intuitive control increases. Thus, applications such as navigation in virtual interfaces, and control of a wheelchair or robotic limbs are aimed. The device is composed of different parts being processing and communication hardware, sensors and 3D printed mechanical structure. The 3D structure was designed to interconnect the sensors and the processing and communication hardware in a single physical structure, and that guarantees a strategic positioning of the sensors. The device has sensors, such as an inertial sensor that detects the movements of the head, and the joystick for detecting the movements of the jaw or lips. Finally, the device allows this detected data to be processed and sent to the receiving system by various communication protocol methods: WIFI, Bluetooth or USB.