Um arcabouço de referência para concepção de soluções de tecnologia assistiva de alto nível

Abstract

It is estimated that by 2018, there are around one billion people in the world with some physical or cognitive limitation. In this scenario, providing solutions that simplify and assist the inclusion of these people in the society becomes a very relevant and challenging issue. This challenge is especially real when solutions of this nature involve the development of specific software and hardware, as in the case of highlevel Assistive Technology (AT). For example, the IOM (acronym for Interface Óculos Mouse, in Portuguese) device provides an alternative way for persons with preserved head movements to using computers through head movements. However, the process of developing this type of solution is complicated, since it is necessary to know the functioning of these ATs deeply. In this sense, the development of reusable software frameworks can benefit this process. They make it possible, through the abstraction of the main characteristics and properties of a specific domain, the representation of different applications. Thus, it is possible to meet the particular demands present in the construction of assistive solutions. This work highlights the design process and a reusable TA-oriented software model. The essential elements that make up this model were identified from two methodological steps. The first, with a theoretical nature, consisted of a systematic literature mapping, which allowed the characterization of the research area’s state of the art, and a study on interaction devices consolidated in the market. The practical step of the methodology, in turn, was composed of four application development cycles using the object of study (IOM) in different contexts of use. The results from these two steps served as inputs for designing and developing a software framework to support the development of high-level AT solutions, more specifically involving the IOM device. Additionally, the valuable experience allowed us to highlight characteristics inherent to the AT process as a whole, providing the expansion of the developed model to other scenarios.