Fleury Amanda, Wu Gloria, Chau Tom
a Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.
b Bloorview Research Institute , Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital , Toronto , Canada.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2019 Jul;14(5):434-444. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2018.1462860. Epub 2018 May 26.
Existing speech generating devices (SGD) often require caregiver intervention for setup and positioning, and thus limit opportunities for spontaneous social interaction. The advent of conductive fabrics presents an opportunity to render SGDs wearable, thus persistently available. Our goal was to design and test a wearable SGD incorporating resistive textile-based switches for a nonverbal pediatric participant with vision impairment. Quad-key fabric keypads were designed using two conductive fabrics in combination with felt and mesh insulators. The keypad with the most repeatable low force activations and the least cross-talk among keys was chosen for implementation in a wrist-worn, four-message textile SGD. The fabric-based SGD was used by a nonverbal pediatric participant for two one-week analysis periods, alternating with the user's current device for usage reference. Data were derived from usage logs, parent questionnaires and an end-of-study participant interview. The best performing keypad consisted of two layers of woven conductive fabrics and one layer of insulating felt with 10 mm apertures. Communicative interactions were higher with the fabric-based SGD, particularly at school. Unprompted initiation of communication was observed only with the fabric-based SGD. The persistent availability of the textile solution, along with esthetic appeal likely contributed to its utilization. While the participant preferred the fabric-based SGD, the parent opted for the iPod alternative, citing enhanced message intelligibility. Fabric-based SGDs are a new alternative to conventional SGD designs using rigid electronics. As such, tactile differentiability of keys, device wearability and esthetic personalization may be promising advantages for pediatric users. Implications for rehabilitation Fabric-based switches may be a promising alternative to conventional electro-mechanical switches for the control of speech-generating devices, offering functional (e.g., comfort and tactile differentiability), expressive (e.g., non-stigmatizing textile integration) and esthetic (e.g., colors and textures) appeal. The material combination of two layers of woven conductive material and one insulating layer of felt with 10 mm diameter apertures seems to provide a fabric-based keypad suitable for pediatric use, requiring low-force activation and minimal cross-talk among buttons. Fabric-based devices offer advantages of tactile differentiability and thus may be particularly suited to individuals with vision impairments. Wearable textile SGDs can be persistently available and may thus increase opportunities for communication.
现有的语音生成设备（SGD）通常需要护理人员进行设置和定位干预，从而限制了自发社交互动的机会。导电织物的出现为使SGD可穿戴提供了契机，从而使其能够持续可用。我们的目标是为一名视力障碍的非言语儿童参与者设计并测试一款集成了基于电阻式纺织品开关的可穿戴SGD。使用两种导电织物与毛毡和网状绝缘体相结合设计了四键织物键盘。选择了按键激活力最低且重复性最高、按键间串扰最小的键盘，用于一款腕戴式、可显示四条信息的纺织品SGD中。一名非言语儿童参与者使用基于织物的SGD进行了两个为期一周的分析阶段，期间交替使用其当前设备以供参考。数据来自使用日志、家长问卷以及研究结束时对参与者的访谈。性能最佳的键盘由两层编织导电织物和一层带有10毫米孔径的绝缘毛毡组成。使用基于织物的SGD时，尤其是在学校，交流互动更多。仅在使用基于织物的SGD时观察到了自发的交流发起。纺织品解决方案的持续可用性以及美观性可能促成了其被使用。虽然参与者更喜欢基于织物的SGD，但家长选择了iPod，理由是其信息清晰度更高。基于织物的SGD是使用刚性电子器件的传统SGD设计的一种新选择。因此，按键的触觉可区分性、设备的可穿戴性和美观的个性化对于儿童用户而言可能是很有前景的优势。对康复的启示基于织物的开关可能是控制语音生成设备的传统机电开关的一种有前景的替代方案，具有功能（如舒适性和触觉可区分性）、表达性（如融入无污名化的纺织品）和美观性（如颜色和质地）方面的吸引力。两层编织导电材料和一层带有10毫米直径孔径的绝缘毛毡的材料组合似乎提供了一种适合儿童使用的织物键盘，需要的激活力低且按键间串扰最小。基于织物的设备具有触觉可区分性的优势，因此可能特别适合视力障碍者。可穿戴纺织品SGD可以持续可用，从而可能增加交流机会。
