Controlling a robotic arm for functional tasks using a wireless head-joystick: A case study of a child with congenital absence of upper and lower limbs.

Children with movement impairments needing assistive devices for activities of daily living often require novel methods for controlling these devices. Body-machine interfaces, which rely on body movements, are particularly well-suited for children as they are non-invasive and have high signal-to-noise ratios. Here, we examined the use of a head-joystick to enable a child with congenital absence of all four limbs to control a seven degree-of-freedom robotic arm.

Age-dependent differences in learning to control a robot arm using a body-machine interface.

Body-machine interfaces, i.e. interfaces that rely on body movements to control external assistive devices, have been proposed as a safe and robust means of achieving movement and mobility; however, how children learn these novel interfaces is poorly understood.