Drawing assist system for cerebral palsy patients considering the involuntary movements

Abstract

Creative activities, such as painting and playing instruments, are sources of satisfaction and fulfillment for people with disabilities. However, some individuals with disabilities cannot satisfactorily enjoy such activities because of involuntary movements. In this study, we developed a drawing assist system for users with athetoid cerebral palsy and muscle tension, who experience involuntary movement. To date, assist systems have had difficulty in distinguishing involuntary movement from voluntary movement, and thus we designed a position correction filter to attenuate involuntary movement on the basis of the characteristics of the magnitude of velocity with respect to involuntary movement. Our system enabled drawing based on the user's own senses and motor control, even when involuntary movement occurred.