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Article
The Tongue Enables Computer and Wheelchair Control for People with Spinal Cord Injury
Department of Biostatistics Faculty Publications
  • Jeonghee Kim, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Hangue Park, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Joy Bruce, Shepherd Center
  • Erica Sutton, Shepherd Center
  • Diane Rowles, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; Northwestern University
  • Deborah Pucci, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
  • Jaimee Holbrook, Northwestern University
  • Julia Minocha, Northwestern University
  • Beatrice Nardone, Northwestern University
  • Dennis West, Northwestern University
  • Anne Laumann, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; Northwestern University
  • Eliot Roth, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; Northwestern University
  • Mike Jones, Shepherd Center
  • Emir Veledar, Department of Biostatistics, Florida International University; Emory University
  • Maysam Ghovanloo, Georgia Institute of Technology
Date of this Version
11-1-2013
Document Type
Article
Abstract

The Tongue Drive System (TDS) is a wireless and wearable assistive technology, designed to allow individuals with severe motor impairments such as tetraplegia to access their environment using voluntary tongue motion. Previous TDS trials used a magnetic tracer temporarily attached to the top surface of the tongue with tissue adhesive. We investigated TDS efficacy for controlling a computer and driving a powered wheelchair in two groups of able-bodied subjects and a group of volunteers with spinal cord injury (SCI) at C6 or above. All participants received a magnetic tongue barbell and used the TDS for five to six consecutive sessions. The performance of the group was compared for TDS versus keypad and TDS versus a sip-and-puff device (SnP) using accepted measures of speed and accuracy. All performance measures improved over the course of the trial. The gap between keypad and TDS performance narrowed for able-bodied subjects. Despite participants with SCI already having familiarity with the SnP, their performance measures were up to three times better with the TDS than with the SnP and continued to improve. TDS flexibility and the inherent characteristics of the human tongue enabled individuals with high-level motor impairments to access computers and drive wheelchairs at speeds that were faster than traditional assistive technologies but with comparable accuracy.

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Post Print Version.

The final version of this article was published in Science Transnational.

PMCID: PMC4454612
Citation Information
Jeonghee Kim, Hangue Park, Joy Bruce, Erica Sutton, et al.. "The Tongue Enables Computer and Wheelchair Control for People with Spinal Cord Injury" (2013)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/emir-veledar/116/