Development of a gesture and voice controlled system for burn injury prevention in individuals with disabilities

Burn injury is a major public health issue in developing countries, with most injuries being largely associated with the use of kitchen stoves. This study details the development of a cost-effective gesture and voice recognition controlled (GVC) system to be used by individuals with disabilities to reduce the likelihood of burn injury and improve their quality of life. The device replaces conventional dial controls with voice and hand gesture recognition sensors and software which are designed to be easily implemented into a household kitchen. Preliminary evaluation of the GVC system's performance in gesture and voice recognition, gas leak detection and ignition control tests were conducted using a Bunsen burner as a stove top surrogate. The voice and gesture recognition tests yielded sensitivities of 88% and 100%, respectively. These results suggest that the GVC system may be a promising solution for burn injury prevention pending further work to improve its reliability and robustness.