Integrated Head-Tilt and Electromyographic Cursor Control

This study evaluated the performance of two alternate computer access methods that could be used for two-dimensional cursor control. The first method, ACC/sEMG, integrates head acceleration and facial surface electromyography. The second method, Camera Mouse, is a free-to-use, computer vision-based access method. Twenty-four healthy adults performed a target acquisition task using each computer access method across two lighting conditions and three computer orientations. Performance in the task was evaluated using metrics of target selection accuracy, movement time, and path efficiency. Using ACC/sEMG resulted in better mean path efficiency and target selection accuracy, whereas using Camera Mouse resulted in faster target selection. Moreover, performance in the task when using Camera Mouse depended on lighting conditions in the room. The findings of this study show that the ACC/sEMG system is an effective computer access method across different lighting conditions and computer orientations. However, there is a tradeoff between speed and accuracy: ACC/sEMG system provided higher target selection accuracy compared to Camera Mouse, while the latter provided faster target selection. Future development should focus on evaluating performance of each method in populations with limited motor abilities.