ABSTRACT
Assistive communication devices are used to enhance the lives of many ALS patients. However, Taiwan has numerous foreign caregivers who cannot read the Chinese text on such devices. To address this language gap problem, we developed an eye-controlled augmentative and alternative communication system, called human eye notification rapid interface (HENRI), with a user-friendly graphical user interface and multilingual pretranslated commands. We conducted experiments by recruiting seven ALS patients with dysarthria who used or planned to use eye-controlled devices. In the experiments, the patients were instructed to execute communication tasks by using their typical communication methods or equipment (called System I) and by using the HENRI system (called System II); subsequently, their performance levels under the two systems were compared. The results showed that the HENRI system improved the communication efficiency, and the HENRI system is suitable as a communication medium between ALS patients and foreign caregivers.
