Development of a capacitive oral interface for elderly/disabled persons, integrated with a control device based on Windows Mobile software

A consortium will be established consisting of Brusell Dental AS - project owner (Norway), Permobil/HMC-International (Belgia) and Antwerp Technical University to develop a patented method to control smart phones, cell phones, computers and all electronic devices with a truly hands free capacitive tongue interface. The objective for the project is to make it possible for elderly and disabled persons with none or limited mobility in the upper extremities to access all mentioned digital/electronic equipment as comfortable as any healthy person. HMC-international is already developing and testing a smart phone device for controlling wheel chairs, ICT and remote controls with different existing interfaces, i.e. head mouse, finger mouse, voice recognition. The capacitive tongue interface will in a revolutionary way enhance precisison and speed in controlling this Windows mobile software based smart phone. When the integration of the capacitive tounge interface with the HMC-international smart phone is operativ e, end user testing will be done clinically together with Antwerp Technical University and Permobil AB and their different customer groups The capacitive sensors are robust and without medical risks. The sensors operate with a weak electrical field - sens itive for change in tissue density around them. The technical challenge is to minimize the amount of needed sensors. This will be done by developing a control unit with simple algorithms making it possible to execute all commands needed to control a compu ter with the tongue; cursor movements, click, double click and right click using not more then 3 sensors. These sensors will be placed in the vicinity of the mouth reachable for the tip of the tonge and will make it possible to tap the whole keyboard - tr uly handsfree - without sound pollution. Due to one of the partners market leading position the time to market will be relatively short.