Attempts are being made to elicit intentional behavior such as gesture and manipulation using drama and mime. A prototype technique for the elicitation of intentional behaviors including gesture and manipulation. A prototype system that will use multiple biomechanical and bioelectrical sensors together with feature extraction and pattern recognition to identify intentional behavior. People with severe speech and motor impairment due to cerebral palsy have limited and imprecise motor control. Each member of this population is likely to have an idiosyncratic range of physical abilities.
Cerebral palsy is a result of damage to the developing brain usually during or near birth.
If the condition is severe, precise targeting or activities involving fine motor control are very difficult. Existing electronic assistive devices for communication or computer access rely on the ability to find parts of the body, e.g. head, elbow, hand, knee, or foot, that can reliably target one to five large electromechanical switches. Thus, there is a mismatch between the user's ability and the method of device access. Investigating The Abilities Of The Target Population Familiar communication partners are frequently able to visually discern intention from imprecise and idiosyncratic gestures. Preliminary observations were conducted during classroom and therapy sessions while students followed their normal school schedules.