Cluster Scanning System

Many physically challenged users cannot interact with a computer through a conventional keyboard and mouse. For example, spasticity, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Cerebral Palsy confine movement to a very small part of the body. These people may interact with a computer through one or two switches with the help of a scanning mechanism. Scanning is the technique of successively highlighting items on a computer screen and pressing a switch when the desired item is highlighted.
The cluster scanning system collects all possible targets (e.g. icons, buttons, combo-boxes etc.) by enumerating window processes (currently it operates only for Microsoft Windows operating system). Then it iteratively divides a screen into several clusters of targets based on the their locations (Figure 1). The user has to select the appropriate cluster that contains the intended target. After reaching a relatively small cluster, the system switches to eight-directional scanning. The user can select the target or can navigate through the screen using eight-directional scanning mechanism.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• computer
• science
• Assistive
• Technology
• Scanning