The "Assistive Technology Rapid Integration and Construction Set" (AsTeRICS) offers a flexible framework for Assistive Technologies (AT), which can be adapted to the motor abilities of users. AsTeRICS is intended to ease access to different devices such as personal computers, cell phones and smart home devices via one single platform which offers many different input methods. One input method that works well for a user may be used in different contexts - e.g. the same method for accessing the computer mouse function may be used to operate the home stereo.
The various capabilities of the AsTeRICS system include PC input device emulation, game control, environmental control applications and utilization of embedded devices.
AsTeRICS provides an affordable system for developing user driven AT by combining emerging sensor techniques like Brain-Computer Interfaces (BNCI) and computer vision with basic actuators (like switches, sip/puff sensors, special mice/joysticks, etc.).
This manual covers the user aspects of AsTeRICS and is dedicated to people who want to understand and use the provided system components. The covered topics include:
- An overview of the system and possible applications.
- Installation and first start of ARE and ACS.
- Sensors and actuators.
- Running and adjusting existing system models via the ACS.
- Step-by-step guides to AsTeRICS model creation, including
- Webcam-controlled mouse cursor.
- Game control via keystroke- or joystick emulation
- Using OSKA - the On-Screen Keyboard Application - for Environmental Control.
- AsTeRICS hardware, supported devices, and application scenarios.