Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2017
24th ABCM International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Communication Device for Deafblinds: Testing with users for software and hardware enhancements
Submission Author:
Taciana Ramos Luz , MG
Co-Authors:
Rudolf Huebner, Taciana Ramos Luz
Presenter: Taciana Ramos Luz
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2017.COB17-2102
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to present the partial results of the tests of a communication device for deafblind people. People with deafblindness usually communicate through tactile stimuli and, most often, the intermediation of an interpreter. However, in a digital world, in which interpersonal contact is replaced by interfaces such as computers, smartphones and tablets, it is necessary to develop a technology that meets the demand of mobile communication for the deafblind to ensure these people a greater autonomy. This device allows the emission of signals by means of 10 digital buttons and the signals reception is made by the modulation of vibratory stimuli. The mechanical and electronic design involved the choice of the most suitable materials for the emission and reception of the signals. The choice of sensors, actuators and buttons takes into account the prevention of overload and fatigue of the user’s hands after prolonged use, through biomechanical and ergonomic studies. The software design involved the development of an application in which the programming of the linguistic study was inserted by the mathematical combination and optimized association of the characters. The results of this study show the aspects that should be considered for the development of an improved second prototype which new studies will be carried out with a larger sample of participants that will contribute to the development of a final product in an affordable cost that will be effectively used by the deafblinds.
Keywords
deafblindness, Optimization, Bioengineering, accessibility, software engineering
