NIBLUM: non-invasive bluetooth mouse for wheelchair users

  • Authors:
  • Roberto Casas;Marcos Quilez;Borja Romero;Oscar Casas

  • Affiliations:
  • Instrumentation, Sensors and Interfaces Group, Castelldefels School of Technology (EPSC), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain;Instrumentation, Sensors and Interfaces Group, Castelldefels School of Technology (EPSC), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain;B&J Adaptaciones, Barcelona, Spain;Instrumentation, Sensors and Interfaces Group, Castelldefels School of Technology (EPSC), Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain

  • Venue:
  • ICCHP'06 Proceedings of the 10th international conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

Being autonomous is one of the biggest challenges for many people with disabilities. While wheelchairs enable individuals to move freely, computers allow them to communicate, work, etc. by their own. In many cases both devices are controlled by two different interfaces of the same kind -two joysticks- and people need the assistance of a second person to switch between them. In this article we describe how any person that drives a wheelchair using a joystick, can control the pointer of any computer using the same driving joystick and without being helped by anyone. This device, NIBLUM, uses Bluetooth to get a wireless and transparent connection with the computer. As it is not necessary to modify the wheelchair, its manufacturer's guaranty is not voided, something essential to enable NIBLUM's real usage