Inductive pointing device for tongue control system for computers and assistive devices.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Assistive Technology
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Tongue control systems offer a potential alternative input method for individuals with motor impairments.
• Previous research has explored various aspects of tongue-controlled interfaces, but systematic evaluation of pointing task performance is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally evaluate the performance of a tongue control system in pointing tasks.
• To identify factors influencing user performance with tongue-controlled interfaces.

Main Methods:

• Ten untrained subjects performed pointing tasks using a tongue control system with interchangeable keypad and mouse pad configurations.
• Tasks involved selecting and tracking target circles of varying diameters at different positions.
• Performance was measured by throughput (bits per second) and time on target.

Main Results:

• The system achieved a throughput of 0.808 bits per second and 0.164 time on target.
• Pad layout, subject characteristics, training sessions, target size, and tracking angle significantly impacted performance measures.

Conclusions:

• User performance with tongue control systems is influenced by multiple factors.
• Short-term training is insufficient; long-term training is necessary to fully assess and potentially improve user capabilities.