Background

Course Description 

The theme of this section will be students designing devices that assist people in various activities. The applications can be for disabilities or non-disability human performance improvements. Students are permitted to select and develop their own topics related to the stated theme. All projects are expected to produce a working prototype or model device.

Intended Solution 

Assistive device to help people with a touch-sensory impairment to type with ease.

• For additional information on computers and people with sensory impairments, read this great article from washington.edu. It touches upon what it is like to use computers with visual, hearing, and sensory impairments.

• "Computers and People With Sensory Impairments." DO-IT. Washington.edu, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.washington.edu/doit/working-together-computers-and-people-sensory-impairments>.

Research

Our target poulation is those suffering from sensory impairments in their hands and fingers. Some examples of touch sensory impairments can include:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common condition that affects many people. Evidence suggests that 3% of women and 2% of men will be diagnosed within their lifetime. The following source is the website for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes. The website goes into detail about all of the aspects of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

• "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fact Sheet." : National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). NIH, 13 Mar. 2015. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm>.

• Peripheral Neuropathy is a syndrome that much more usual then most people expect. It causes weakness, numbness, and pain in the hands and feet as well as other parts of the body. The Mayo Clinic (cited below) goes into further detail about the specifics of peripheral neuropathy.

• Mayo Clinic Staff. "Peripheral Neuropathy." Diseases and Conditions. Mayo Clinic, 2 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/basics/definition/con-20019948>.

• Burns are something that can happen to anyone. It is a very painful condition that any number of people in the world can end up being affected by this.Burns can damage nerves and prevent the victim from being able to utilize the sense of touch. The US National Library of Medicine goes into detail about different types of burns.

• Perez, Eric, MD. "Burns: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Image." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/1078.htm>.

• Pinched Nerves are arguably the most common occurrence that we have highlighted here. Sometimes, it takes years to solve the problem if they can ever be cured. The Laser Spine Institute goes into detail about the specific symptoms that pinched nerves present.

• "Pinched Nerve Overview." Spine Conditions. Laser Spine Institute, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <https://www.laserspineinstitute.com/back_problems/pinched_nerve>.