Redesign and Testing of the Eyelid Drive System Assistive Technology
Open Access
Author:
Venkatesulu, Erica
Area of Honors:
Electrical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Mehdi Kiani, Thesis Supervisor Timothy Joseph Kane, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
assistive technology eyelid drive system PCB design calibration algorithm assistive technology eyelid drive system PCB design calibration algorithm
Abstract:
The goal of this research project was to redesign an existing assistive technology (AT) that provides
a means of communication for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In particular,
it is designed for those whose condition has advanced to the point that they have lost all voluntary
muscle control except that of the eyes and eyelids. This AT, called the Eyelid Drive System (EDS),
uses a modified pair of glasses and a method of inductive sensing to detect user blinks and winks.
Redesign of the EDS specifically included modifications to circuit schematics, new printed circuit
board layouts, and development of an automatic calibration routine. This thesis details and motivates
design modifications, describes a procedure for conducting human subject tests, and presents
the results of a simulation of the automatic calibration routine.