Sensors, Vol. 20, Pages 1194: AMiCUS 2.0--System Presentation and Demonstration of Adaptability to Personal Needs by the Example of an Individual with Progressed Multiple Sclerosis (Sensors)

AMiCUS is a human–robot interface that enables tetraplegics to control an assistive roboticarm in real-time using only head motion, allowing them to perform simple manipulation tasksindependently. The interface may be used as a standalone system or to provide direct control aspart of a semi-autonomous system. Within this work, we present our new gesture-free prototypeAMiCUS 2.0, which has been designed with special attention to accessibility and ergonomics. As such,AMiCUS 2.0 addresses the needs of tetraplegics with additional impairments that may come alongwith multiple sclerosis. In an experimental setup, both AMiCUS 1.0 and 2.0 are compared with eachother, showing higher accessibility and usability for AMiCUS 2.0. Moreover, in an activity of dailyliving, a proof-of-concept is provided that an individual with progressed multiple sclerosis is able tooperate the robotic arm in a temporal and functional scope, as would be necessary to perform directcontrol tasks for use in a commercial semi-autonomous system. The results indicate that AMiCUS 2.0makes an important step towards closing the gaps of assistive technology, being accessible to thosewho rely on such technology the most.