Trends and design considerations of wearable assistive technology

1. Halley P Profita
CS PhD Candidate
Correll Lab|Superhuman Computing Lab
University of Colorado Boulder
Halley.profita@colorado.edu
Michael Lightner
Professor | Electrical, Computer, &
Energy Engineering
University of Colorado Boulder
Michael.lightner@colorado.edu
Wearable Assistive Technology:
Emerging Trends and Design
Considerations
Shaun Kane
Asst. Professor | Superhuman
Computing Lab
University of Colorado Boulder
Shaun.kane@colorado.edu
Nikolaus Correll
Asst. Professor | Correll
Robotics Lab
Computer Science
University of Colorado Boulder
Nikolaus.correll@colorado.edu
http://www.thealternativelimbproject

2. About Me
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Undergraduate
 BSBA Management Science, 2008
University of Miami, FL
Graduate
 MID Industrial Design, 2011
Georgia Institute of Technology, GA
 PhD CS (Human-Centered Computing),
‘11 - Present
University of Colorado Boulder, CO
Stroke Rehabilitation
EEG Cap
Fabric
bend
sensor
maps
range of
motion

3. Textile Interfaces
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Profita, H. P., Clawson, J., Gilliland, S., Zeagler, C., Starner, T., Budd, J., & Do, E. Y. L. (2013, September). Don't mind me
touching my wrist: a case study of interacting with on-body technology in public. In Proceedings of the 2013 International
Symposium on Wearable Computers (pp. 89-96). ACM.
iPod
Electronic
Textile Scroll
Interface

4. Electronic Textiles
Gilliland, S., Komor, N., Starner, T., & Zeagler, C. (2010, October). The Textile Interface Swatchbook: Creating graphical
user interface-like widgets with conductive embroidery. In ISWC, 2010 (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Conductiv
e thread
sewn into
fabric

5. Intersection
 Huge potential for advances in wearables to provide
assistance in unrealized ways
Mollii
“Mollii is a new type of assistive device which
relaxes spastic, tense and aching muscles safely
and simply, thus helping a lot of people with
spasticity and motor impairment. Mollii is used by
people with cerebral palsy, stroke, spinal cord
injury and acquired brain damage as well as other
diagnoses that lead to motor disabilities.”
http://inerventions.se/en/product/
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

6. Intersection
 Huge potential for advances in wearables to provide
assistance in unrealized ways
 Seeing wearables emerge on the market and in the
research domain
Mollii
“Mollii is a new type of assistive device which
relaxes spastic, tense and aching muscles safely
and simply, thus helping a lot of people with
spasticity and motor impairment. Mollii is used by
people with cerebral palsy, stroke, spinal cord
injury and acquired brain damage as well as other
diagnoses that lead to motor disabilities.”
http://inerventions.se/en/product/
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

7. Assistive Devices
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

8. Assistive Devices
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Many assistive devices are
worn or collocated in nature

9. Considerations when Designing
Wearable Assistive Technology
 Wearability
 Designing for Varying Body
Types
 Designing for Varying
Abilities
 Designing for Rehabilitation
and Therapy
 Reliability
 Designing for Social
Acceptance
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
http://nigallant.blogspot.com/2012/06/pimping-
our-hearing-aids-and-jazzing-up.html
Decorating Hearing Aids &
Cochlear Implants

10. When we put items closer to
the body they become much
more personal in nature
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

11. Which means we tend to care
about what things look like
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

12. Function vs. Aesthetics
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

13. How Wearables can Provide
Assistance
Trends in the Literature
 Navigation, Wayfinding,
and Mobility Support
 Supporting Rehabilitation
and Restoring Function
 Communication Support
 Behavioral and Emotional
Support
 Sensory Substitution
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
http://nuviun.com/content/gps-smart-shoes-guide-the-blind-
track-fitness
LeChal GPS Shoe

14. Navigation, Wayfinding, and Mobility
Support
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
http://www.udel.edu/udmessenger/vol21no1/stories/research-parkinsons-
shoe.html
The PDShoe for Parkinson’s
disease
Vibration
cuing system
to counter
freezing gait

15. Navigation, Wayfinding, and Mobility
Support
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Wall, C., & Weinberg, M. S. (2003). Balance prostheses for
postural control. Engineering in Medicine and Biology
Magazine, IEEE, 22(2), 84-90.
Balance Prosthesis for Gait and Posture
Control
Tactaid belt gives
vibration cue
when user starts
to tilt so that they
can correct
balance

16. Supporting Rehabilitation and
Restoring Function
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
http://ict.usc.edu/news/belinda-langes-video-game-rehabilitation-work-featured-in-the-daily-trojan/
Video Game for Rehabilitation

17. Supporting Rehabilitation and
Restoring Function
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
http://ict.usc.edu/news/belinda-langes-video-game-rehabilitation-work-featured-in-the-daily-trojan/
Video Game for Rehabilitation
Video game (Kinect)
keeps user engaged.
How do we achieve
this with a wearable?

18. Supporting Rehabilitation and
Restoring Function
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Markow, T., Ramakrishnan, N., Huang, K., Starner, T., Eicholtz, M., Garrett, S., Profita, H.,
Scarlata, A., Schooler, C., Tarun, A., & Backus, D. (2010, March). Mobile Music Touch:
Vibration stimulus in hand rehabilitation. In PervasiveHealth, (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
Ananthanarayan, S., Sheh, M., Chien, A., Profita, H., & Siek, K. (2013). Pt Viz: towards a wearable
device for visualizing knee rehabilitation exercises. In Proc. Of CHI (pp. 1247-1250). ACM.
PT Viz for Knee Rehab
(progress bar visualization using
EL wire)
Mobile Music Touch for Hand
Rehab
(music vibration therapy)

19. Communication Support
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Profita, H. P. (2012). An electronic-textile wearable communication board for
individuals with autism engaged in horse therapy. In Proc. ASSETS. ACM.
Wearable Communication Board for Children with
Autism Engaged in Horse Therapy
Gollner, U., Bieling, T., & Joost, G. (2012). Mobile Lorm Glove: introducing a
communication device for deaf-blind people. In Proc. Of TEI (pp. 127-130). ACM.
Mobile Lorm Glove for
Individuals who are Deaf-
Blind

20. Behavioral and Emotional Support
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Williams, Michele A., et al. "Swarm: an actuated wearable for mediating affect." Proceedings of the
Ninth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction. ACM, 2015.
SWARM Scarf for Emotional Support
Sensors and actuators
that can read and
support emotional
behavior

21. Sensory Substitution
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
http://eagleman.com/research/sensory-substitution
Scott Novich & David Eagleman
Vibrotactile Vest for Hearing Impairment
Vest allows one
to perceive
auditory
information
through
vibrations on
the torso

22. Sensory Substitution
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Profita, H., N. Farrow, and N. Correll. "Flutter: An exploration of an assistive garment using distributed sensing, computation and actuation." Proceedings
of TEI. ACM, 2015.
Spatial Awareness of Sounds for
Individuals with Hearing
Impairments
Microphones and
vibration motors
embedded in
garment detect and
relay sound direction
Leveraging fashion
to integrate
hardware

23. Function vs. Aesthetics
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

24. What AT design
considerations
are starting to emerge?
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

25. Design and Disability in Practice
People who are decorating and adorning their AT to make it much more playful or ex
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/217932069440390601/http://www.hayleighscherishedcharms.com/http://thebabychildcareseller.blogspot.com/2011/07/eye-patch-for-kids-to-treat-amblyopia.html
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

26. Design and Disability in Practice
Camouflaging AT or hiding in plain sight
http://hankypancreas.com/ www.earassociates.com/services-bone-anchored-hearing-aids-san-jose-ca.html
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
Insulin Pump Jewelry Bone Anchored Hearing Aid

27. Design and Disability in Practice
Bradley Watch
“A TACTILE TIMEPIECE DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE”
https://www.eone-time.com/
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

28. Design and Disability in Practice
Going mainstream
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/5953951/iPhone-4S-Life-changing-phone-for-blind
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

29. Design and Disability in Practice
Changing symbols and imagery
http://www.npr.org/2013/07/07/189523504/new-handicapped-sign-rolls-into-new-york-city
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

30. Design and Disability in Practice
Pushing the bounds
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
http://www.luxuo.com/art/mfa-boston-exhibits-tech-
and-fashion.html

31. Ultimate AT Success Story
http://www.readers.com/resources/glasses/frame-styles-types/
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

32. Such design considerations
will play an important role as
we develop even more
textile-based wearables
@halleyprofita
#WearIt

33. @halleyprofita
#WearIt
Next Steps

34. @halleyprofita
#WearIt
Researching the ways in which
individuals are decorating or
“pimping out” their AT

35. Thank you!
Questions?
@halleyprofita
#WearIt
HALLEY P PROFITA
CS PhD Candidate
Correll Lab|Superhuman Computing Lab
University of Colorado Boulder
Halley.profita@colorado.edu
MICHAEL LIGHTNER
Professor | Electrical, Computer, &
Energy Engineering
University of Colorado Boulder
Michael.lightner@colorado.edu
SHAUN KANE
Asst. Professor | Superhuman
Computing Lab
Computer Science
University of Colorado Boulder
Shaun.kane@colorado.edu
NIKOLAUS CORRELL
Asst. Professor | Correll Robotics Lab
Computer Science
University of Colorado Boulder
Nikolaus.correll@colorado.edu