Evaluation of Vision-Guided Shared Control for Assistive Robotics Manipulators

Study Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new control (i.e., the vision-guided shared (VGS) control) for a wheelchair-mounted assistive robotic manipulator among powered wheelchair users. This study consists of a questionnaire about general demographics, health information, and previous experience with assistive technology. Several tests are also administered to test upper extremity function and ability as well as to test spatial orientation and visualization ability. Participants till then undergo a training phase with the assistive robotic manipulator mounted on a table to assess if they are eligible for participation in the study. Eligible participants will move on to a second training phase where they are asked to learn and practice slightly more complex tasks while using the vision-guided shared controller. After this training, participants are asked to complete two everyday tasks each comprising multiple steps using the VGS control and default teleoperation using a joystick. At the conclusion of the study, researchers conduct a brief semi-structured interview with each participant and obtain more insight on how participants perceive the ease-of-use and usefulness of the vision-guided shared control.

Primary Outcome

Each task consisted of multiple predefined steps (six for the Drinking Task and ten for the Popcorn Task). Participants performed two trials per task. The time of completion was defined as the total time (in seconds) required to complete all steps, measured from the start cue to task completion. Each step had a 5-minute limit; if not completed within that time, the step was considered failed and assigned the maximum 5-minute duration before proceeding to the next step. Task completion times were

Conditions Studied

Interventions

• DEVICE Compare two control methods for a wheelchair-mounted robotic manipulator

Study Locations (1)