Contents (hide)
- 1. Interests
- 2. Funding
- 3. PhD. Thesis
- 4. MASc. Thesis
1. Interests
- Disability Engineering & Disability Studies
- Sensor Design and Artificial Perception for Robotics
- Digital, Statistical and Acoustic Signal Processing
- Interdisciplinary Research Studies
- Sociology of Technology and Design
- Philosophy and History of Science
2. Funding
- Silva J. (Co-PI), Chau T., Implementation of MOR-PLAY, a mobile robotic platform to facilitate play by young power wheelchair users. (Bloorview Kids Rehab Foundation/Rotary Club of Willowdale, $2,887)
- Lehoux P., Chau T., Silva J. (Co-I), Shaping the Future of Health Innovation Research in Canada: A Workshop Bringing Together Researcher, Designers and Users of Health Technology (CIHR/HCTP Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement Grant, $7,000)
- Silva J. (Co-PI), Lehoux P., Chau T., Zitzelsberger H., and Mihailidis A., Perception and Society: The Autism Emulation Project, (CIHR/HCTP Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement Grant, $8,000)
3. PhD. Thesis
3.1 Single-Switch Neverball
| The latest version of the asynchronous interpreter of binary commands (aibicom) can be used to control two independent domains using a single switch or any other binary interface. The video shows how Michael Dzura used a single keyboard key and some practice to simultaneously control the pitch and roll of the floor in the game neverball. Michael finished the whole thing with a few seconds to spare and with just over 30 key hits in total… not bad aeh?
Thanks to Robert Kooima who provided assistance with his code and to Jorge Torres and Xavier Tortolero for their helpful suggestions and advice. |
3.2 Single-Switch 2-D Navigation
| This is one of the first versions of the single-switch algorithm designed to enable access to complex devices through very low information capacity interfaces (such as a binary switch or a brain-computer interface). Each switch activation deforms the blue viscoelastic surface. The viscoelasticity of the surface creates a short-memory effect allowing the white pointer to be directed towards the green target using only one binary switch. |
4. MASc. Thesis
4.1 Coupled Microphone-Accelerometer Sensor Pair (CMASP)
Schematic diagram of CMASP, placed against the skin.
Source: Electronics Letters 39(21):1496–7
The Coupled Microphone-Accelerometer Sensor Pair (CMASP) is a wearable silicone-embedded vibration sensor that may be used to record muscle vibrations on the surface of the skin. It is composed of a common electret condenser microphone and a single axis accelerometer (model BU7135 from Knowles Acoustics) soldered on opposite sides of a printed circuit board (PCB). The pair is embedded into an air-sealed silicone case forming an air chamber on the microphone side. The air chamber converts the mechanical vibrations into acoustic energy and passively amplifies the signal to be easily detected by the microphone. The accelerometer, on the other hand, may be used to detect motion artifact in order to further enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
4.2 Distal MMG-Based Control of a Free-Standing Prosthetic Hand
| Muscle “sounds” were recorded distally from the wrist extensors using the coupled microphone-accelerometer sensor pair (CMASP) designed at the PRISM LAB. Signals from both transducers were fed into a micro-controller that used a “cookie crusher” strategy to control the free-standing prosthetic hand. In order to eliminate ambient/movement interference, the accelerometer signal was used as a dynamic threshold for the microphone signal during detection of muscle activity (see publications). |
4.3 CMASP Heart Sounds Recording
| The coupled microphone-accelerometer sensor pair (CMASP) designed at the PRISM Lab can also be used as a generic vibration sensor for the measurement of a variety of physiological signals. This video shows the use of a CMASP for monitoring heart sounds. Note that the user is holding the sensor over his clothes. |
4.4 Daily Planet, Discovery Channel (10/5/04)
| This is the super cool piece about our work aired back in 2004 on Daily Planet (Discovery Channel). The report is not 100% accurate, but it is way more realistic than all the other news reports that were done at the time. I mean, of course mass media can’t be all that honest… (sigh) let’s just say most of these things get “lost in translation”. Anyway, you can see me playing around with the computer and the circuits (and, of course, screwing everything up!). Oh… and I even wore a tie for this! |
