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 :



Robot Talk Episode 115 – Robot dogs working in industry, with Benjamin Mottis

  28 Mar 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Benjamin Mottis from ANYbotics about deploying their four-legged ANYmal robot in a variety of industries.

Robot Talk Episode 114 – Reducing waste with robotics, with Josie Gotz

  21 Mar 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Josie Gotz from the Manufacturing Technology Centre about robotics for material recovery, reuse and recycling.

Robot Talk Episode 113 – Soft robotic hands, with Kaspar Althoefer

  14 Mar 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Kaspar Althoefer from Queen Mary University of London about soft robotic manipulators for healthcare and manufacturing.

Robot Talk Episode 112 – Getting creative with robotics, with Vali Lalioti

  07 Mar 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Vali Lalioti from the University of the Arts London about how art, culture and robotics interact.

Robot Talk Episode 111 – Robots for climate action, with Patrick Meier

  28 Feb 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Patrick Meier from the Climate Robotics Network about how robots can help scale action on climate change.

Robot Talk Episode 110 – Designing ethical robots, with Catherine Menon

  21 Feb 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Catherine Menon from the University of Hertfordshire about designing home assistance robots with ethics in mind.

Robot Talk Episode 109 – Building robots at home, with Dan Nicholson

  14 Feb 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Dan Nicholson from MakerForge.tech about creating open source robotics projects you can do at home.

Robot Talk Episode 108 – Giving robots the sense of touch, with Anuradha Ranasinghe

  07 Feb 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Anuradha Ranasinghe from Liverpool Hope University about haptic sensors for wearable tech and robotics.





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


©2024 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence


 












©2021 - ROBOTS Association