Robohub.org
 

OAK, a Kinect-based active support system for the severely disabled


by
26 September 2013



share this:
OAK, a Kinect-based active support system for the severely disabled

OAK, which stands for ‘Observation and Access with Kinect’, is a software application for use by people with severe disabilities. It has been developed by RCAST at the University of Tokyo, in collaboration with Microsoft Japan, and is available from assist-i corporation.

“The Kinect camera detects, in three dimensions, where people are and what posture they have. We’ve used that capability to develop a system called Air Switch. This system creates virtual switches in the air. For example, if a person has a cervical injury, and can only move from the neck up, you can put a switch next to their head. The switch can be worked by any part of the body, so it can be used by moving the head, like this.”

“Air Switch works by detecting how far away an object is. The system also has a Motion History capability, which detects color changes. For example, if Motion History detects that you’re moving your mouth, the system can put a switch near your mouth. In fact, I’m moving my mouth quite a lot right now, and this system can detect motion with millimeter precision. So, for people who’ve been thought of as totally immobile until now, this system could open up a lot more possibilities, based on scientific data, such as shoulder movements, for example.”

Another option is called Face Switch, which keeps detecting facial movements even if the neck moves to some extent. It can be set so that the switch activates when you open your mouth, or it can also be controlled by sticking out your tongue, blinking or changing the orientation of your face.

“This system was released in April. It’ll soon be available in North America and Europe, too.”



tags: , ,


DigInfo TV is a Tokyo-based online video news platform dedicated to producing original coverage of cutting edge technology, research and products from Japan.
DigInfo TV is a Tokyo-based online video news platform dedicated to producing original coverage of cutting edge technology, research and products from Japan.





Related posts :



Apertus: a fully open, transparent, multilingual language model

  11 Sep 2025
EPFL, ETH Zurich and the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) released Apertus today, Switzerland’s first large-scale, open, multilingual language model.

Robots to the rescue: miniature robots offer new hope for search and rescue operations

  09 Sep 2025
Small two-wheeled robots, equipped with high-tech sensors, will help to find survivors faster in the aftermath of disasters.

#IJCAI2025 distinguished paper: Combining MORL with restraining bolts to learn normative behaviour

and   04 Sep 2025
The authors introduce a framework for guiding reinforcement learning agents to comply with social, legal, and ethical norms.

Researchers are teaching robots to walk on Mars from the sand of New Mexico

  02 Sep 2025
Researchers are closer to equipping a dog-like robot to conduct science on the surface of Mars

Engineering fantasy into reality

  26 Aug 2025
PhD student Erik Ballesteros is building “Doc Ock” arms for future astronauts.

RoboCup@Work League: Interview with Christoph Steup

and   22 Aug 2025
Find out more about the RoboCup League focussed on industrial production systems.

Interview with Haimin Hu: Game-theoretic integration of safety, interaction and learning for human-centered autonomy

and   21 Aug 2025
Hear from Haimin in the latest in our series featuring the 2025 AAAI / ACM SIGAI Doctoral Consortium participants.

AIhub coffee corner: Agentic AI

  15 Aug 2025
The AIhub coffee corner captures the musings of AI experts over a short conversation.



 

Robohub is supported by:




Would you like to learn how to tell impactful stories about your robot or AI system?


scicomm
training the next generation of science communicators in robotics & AI


 












©2025.05 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence