Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The impressive number of products offered by those databases is evidence of the growth in
AT devices that has occurred. In fact, when we consider the increase in products presented
by the AbleData database from 1996 to 2011, we see that the number of products has doubled
(Halverson and Belknap 1996). This rapid increase in the amount of online information
about AT products underscores the need and desire for technologies that meet the diverse
needs of people with disabilities in all facets of their lives: from products for medical
treatment to supports for school, work, and self-care to equipment for housekeeping,
recreation, and sexual activity.
Company investments in the improvement of AT have led to the development of new
products as well as product upgrading and updating. Simultaneously, literature appears on
product usability, use versus discard, and on the optimal matching of user and technology.
By aiming to analyze both the interaction between the user and the technology in the
assistive technology assessment (ATA) process and the development of new ATs,
Section III is focused on the idea that it is impossible to represent the most recent ATs
without losing the race with the advancement of technology, in which something that is
new today becomes outdated in a week. To avoid the possibility of discussing outdated
technology, the five chapters making up Section III (Chapters 15-19) are focused on new
landscapes in AT development and research by presenting technologies that are not now
available on web sites and databases (such as brain-computer interface technologies) while
emphasizing new concepts and methods for improving the next generation of ATs.
Presentation of the Chapters of Section III
The chapters in Section III are organized in conceptual order from the most theoretical—
the role of user experience evaluation in the ATA process—to the most concrete—adapted
physical activity and equipment for sport activities. (Table III. 1).
Chapter 15, “Systemic User Experience,” presents a theoretical framework of the role
of user experience (Section 15.1) in the ATA process using an integrated approach of
evaluation in the rehabilitation system. The user experience (UX) holistic perspective and
definition are presented along with the concepts of usability and accessibility (Sections
15.2.1 and 15.2.2). The authors introduce a new conceptual perspective that is based on the
TABLe III.1
Chapters of
Section III
Chapter
Topic
15
Systemic User Experience (Borsci, Kurosu, Mele, and
Federici)
16
Web Solutions for Rehabilitation and Daily Life
(Liotta, Di Giacomo, Magni, and Corradi)
17
Brain-Computer Interfaces: The New Landscape in
Assistive Technology (Pasqualotto, Federici, Olivetti
Belardinelli, and Birbaumer)
18
New Rehabilitation Possibilities for Persons with
Multiple Disabilities through the Use of Microswitch
Technology (Lancioni, Singh, O'Reilly, O'Sigafoos,
Oliva, and Basili)
19
Methods and Technologies for Leisure, Recreation and
an Accessible Sport (Capio, Mascolo, and Sit)
