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Auxilio and Beyond: Comparative Evaluation, Usability, and Design Guidelines for Head Movement-based Assistive Mouse Controllers

Mohammad Ridwan Kabir, Mohammad Ishrak Abedin, Rizvi Ahmed, Saad Bin Ashraf, Hasan Mahmud, Md. Kamrul Hasan

TL;DR

This work presents Auxilio, a sensor-based head-mounted Assistive Mouse Controller that uses an IMU for absolute head-movement cursor control and infrared cheek-twitch sensors for clicking. In a within-subject study against the Smyle Mouse, Auxilio demonstrates higher dynamic-target throughput and superior usability (SUS) while revealing trade-offs in small-target precision and cursor jitter. The authors extract actionable design guidelines—such as tunable absolute/relative mapping, decoupled interaction channels, and gesture-based re-centering—to inform future head-movement AMCs. Overall, the study advances non-intrusive, wearable input solutions for upper-limb disability and provides a framework for evaluating usability and performance of such devices.

Abstract

Upper limb disability due to neurological disorders or other factors restricts computer interaction for affected individuals using a generic optical mouse. This work reports the findings of a comparative evaluation of Auxilio, a sensor-based wireless head-mounted Assistive Mouse Controller (AMC), that facilitates computer interaction for such individuals. Combining commercially available, low-cost motion and infrared sensors, Auxilio utilizes head movements and cheek muscle twitches for mouse control. Its performance in pointing tasks with subjects without motor impairments has been juxtaposed against a commercially available and patented vision-based head-tracking AMC developed for similar stakeholders. Furthermore, our study evaluates the usability of Auxilio using the System Usability Scale, supplemented by a qualitative analysis of participant interview transcripts to identify the strengths and weaknesses of both AMCs. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of Auxilio, and we summarize our key findings into design guidelines for the development of similar future AMCs.

Auxilio and Beyond: Comparative Evaluation, Usability, and Design Guidelines for Head Movement-based Assistive Mouse Controllers

TL;DR

This work presents Auxilio, a sensor-based head-mounted Assistive Mouse Controller that uses an IMU for absolute head-movement cursor control and infrared cheek-twitch sensors for clicking. In a within-subject study against the Smyle Mouse, Auxilio demonstrates higher dynamic-target throughput and superior usability (SUS) while revealing trade-offs in small-target precision and cursor jitter. The authors extract actionable design guidelines—such as tunable absolute/relative mapping, decoupled interaction channels, and gesture-based re-centering—to inform future head-movement AMCs. Overall, the study advances non-intrusive, wearable input solutions for upper-limb disability and provides a framework for evaluating usability and performance of such devices.

Abstract

Upper limb disability due to neurological disorders or other factors restricts computer interaction for affected individuals using a generic optical mouse. This work reports the findings of a comparative evaluation of Auxilio, a sensor-based wireless head-mounted Assistive Mouse Controller (AMC), that facilitates computer interaction for such individuals. Combining commercially available, low-cost motion and infrared sensors, Auxilio utilizes head movements and cheek muscle twitches for mouse control. Its performance in pointing tasks with subjects without motor impairments has been juxtaposed against a commercially available and patented vision-based head-tracking AMC developed for similar stakeholders. Furthermore, our study evaluates the usability of Auxilio using the System Usability Scale, supplemented by a qualitative analysis of participant interview transcripts to identify the strengths and weaknesses of both AMCs. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of Auxilio, and we summarize our key findings into design guidelines for the development of similar future AMCs.
Paper Structure (34 sections, 1 equation, 7 figures, 3 tables)

This paper contains 34 sections, 1 equation, 7 figures, 3 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Works
  3. Vision-based AMCs: Design Tradeoffs and Limitations
  4. Electromyography (EMG)-based AMCs: Signal Complexity and User Burden
  5. Electrooculogram (EOG)-based AMCs: Low Resolution and Ergonomic Concerns
  6. Sensor-based Wearable AMCs: Towards Non-Intrusive Design
  7. Current Research Gaps: Identifying the Design Space of a Novel Wearable AMC
  8. Designing and Developing AUXILIO
  9. Design Rationale
  10. DR1: Comfort-Driven Form Factor
  11. DR2: Intuitive Interaction Mechanisms
  12. DR3: Deterministic System Behavior
  13. Device Workflow
  14. Mouse Data
  15. Gesture Data
  16. ...and 19 more sections

Figures (7)

  • Figure 1: Prototype of Auxilio, a sensor-based head-mounted wireless Assistive Mouse Controller (AMC) that uses absolute head movements for mouse cursor control and cheek muscle twitches for mouse click actuation using an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and infrared sensors.
  • Figure 2: User Interface of the driver
  • Figure 3: A workflow diagram of the driver for Auxilio.
  • Figure 4: Snapshots of the game Popper – (a) Player registration and game instruction screen, (b) Resting period in the form of a reward screen between levels for reducing fatigue, a particular level with (c) a static balloon of size 128px, and (d) a dynamic balloon of size 32px.
  • Figure 5: Overall design workflow of Auxilio.
  • ...and 2 more figures