Many people in the world have disabilities that prevent them from using one of the two hands. This is because of amputation, paralysis and other conditions that damage their hand or their entire arm. Only in Italy, for example, 3500 amputations per year are recorded. Among the challenges that single-handed users have to face, there is the use of the computer. These kind of users have to adapt to what the market has to offer, which is not studied for their condition, and thus not ideal from an ergonomic point of view and also not efficient. Knowing that a specific product for this niche is missing and that these people should have a user experience similar to the one of an able-bodied when it comes to using a computer, I decided to study for a solution. I started my research by consulting scientific literature first, then I started defining the best approach to solve the problem. The objective was to find a balance between efficiency, ergonomics and user-friendliness, which was achieved also thanks to the tests carried out and the meetings in the Villa Beretta rehabilitation centre. The final product is indeed a mouse-keyboard hybrid that lets the user do the most common operations that an able-bodied user can usually perform. This includes operations that require the concomitant use of both mouse and keyboard, so kinds of tasks that would be impossible to perform for a single-handed user. The product is also meant to respect the ergonomic principles established during the research phase, thanks to which the product is ideal for long sessions, comfortable and also good from a postural point of view. I also focused on developing a good-looking product that could satisfy the user also from an aesthetic point of view, in opposition to the “medical aesthetic” typical of the assistive technologies. It was important also to use as many commercial components as possible, both to improve the repairability and to maintain a reasonable price.
Diverse persone nel mondo hanno disabilità parziali che precludono loro l’utilizzo di una delle due mani. Ciò accade a seguito di amputazioni, paralisi e condizioni che portano al non corretto funzionamento della mano o dell’intero braccio. Soltanto in Italia, per esempio, si registrano 3500 amputazioni dell’arto superiore ogni anno. Tra le difficoltà che deve affrontare chi è in grado di operare con una sola mano vi è quella dell’utilizzo del computer, per la quale questi utenti devono adattarsi utilizzando ciò che il mercato propone e che non è stato studiato per la loro condizione, quindi per loro poco ergonomico ed efficiente. La consapevolezza della mancanza di un prodotto simile e la voglia di dare agli utenti in questione un’esperienza d’uso del computer quanto più vicina a quella di un utente normodotato mi ha spinto alla ricerca di una soluzione. Cominciando quindi con una ricerca nella letteratura scientifica sono poi passato alla definizione di quello che poteva essere l’approccio migliore per la risoluzione del problema, cercando di trovare il giusto compromesso tra efficienza delle operazioni, ergonomia e intuitività, anche grazie ai test effettuati sugli utenti e agli incontri svolti nella struttura riabilitativa di Villa Beretta. Il prodotto finale derivato da questo percorso è di fatto un ibrido mouse-tastiera in grado di permettere l’esecuzione delle azioni più comuni effettuabili al computer, incluse quelle che richiedono l’utilizzo contemporaneo delle due periferiche, che normalmente sarebbero difficilmente eseguibili dall’utente disabile. Il prodotto rispetta inoltre i principi ergonomici definiti in fase di ricerca, grazie ai quali si dimostra adatto all’utilizzi per lunghi periodi di tempo, sia per comodità che per benefici di postura. È stata posta grande attenzione inoltre alla definizione di un aspetto quanto più invogliante possibile all’uso, evitando l’estetica medica spesso associata ai dispositivi del campo delle tecnologia assistive, così come si è posta grande attenzione all’uso di componenti economici e standard, in grado di contribuire sia alla riparabilità del prodotto che al contenimento dei costi.
Progetto di una periferica ibrida a una mano per disabili
AVANZATO, GIUSEPPE
2018/2019
Abstract
Many people in the world have disabilities that prevent them from using one of the two hands. This is because of amputation, paralysis and other conditions that damage their hand or their entire arm. Only in Italy, for example, 3500 amputations per year are recorded. Among the challenges that single-handed users have to face, there is the use of the computer. These kind of users have to adapt to what the market has to offer, which is not studied for their condition, and thus not ideal from an ergonomic point of view and also not efficient. Knowing that a specific product for this niche is missing and that these people should have a user experience similar to the one of an able-bodied when it comes to using a computer, I decided to study for a solution. I started my research by consulting scientific literature first, then I started defining the best approach to solve the problem. The objective was to find a balance between efficiency, ergonomics and user-friendliness, which was achieved also thanks to the tests carried out and the meetings in the Villa Beretta rehabilitation centre. The final product is indeed a mouse-keyboard hybrid that lets the user do the most common operations that an able-bodied user can usually perform. This includes operations that require the concomitant use of both mouse and keyboard, so kinds of tasks that would be impossible to perform for a single-handed user. The product is also meant to respect the ergonomic principles established during the research phase, thanks to which the product is ideal for long sessions, comfortable and also good from a postural point of view. I also focused on developing a good-looking product that could satisfy the user also from an aesthetic point of view, in opposition to the “medical aesthetic” typical of the assistive technologies. It was important also to use as many commercial components as possible, both to improve the repairability and to maintain a reasonable price.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/151937