Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a physical disability that affects the movement and posture of a person. It is the most common physical disability that occurs in children. SMARTCLAP is a multidisciplinary research project whose main aim is to develop a revolutionary device that aids occupational therapy for children with CP. SMARTCLAP places the user at the centre of the design process and is motivated by the child’s functional goals set during occupational therapy. By means of this design approach, SMARTCLAP aims to increase the motivation of a child during therapy sessions, in which the parents or the guardians may also be involved. This contributes towards developing positive behaviour and improving the social interaction of the child.

In particular, the SMARTCLAP project is in the process of developing a novel, hand Motion Capture Algorithm (MCA) combined with a smart, wearable glove to be used in the rehabilitation of children, where the child can use it to play a serious, Augmented Reality (AR)- based game. The system aims to offer a cheap, user-centred design option, which is tailor-made for a particular child and makes use of current technologies and 3D printing.

Hand and finger movements are captured by several Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) attached to the device, which are positioned in the middle of the proximal and intermediate phalange of each finger and on the back of the palm. Positioning data from each sensor is captured by an ATmega328 microcontroller and sent via Bluetooth to a tablet or a smartphone which runs AR game.

The MCA generates a model of the hand and its movements using the kinematics defined by the International Society of Biomechanics, which are interfaced with the AR system

The MCA generates a model of the hand and its movements using the kinematics defined by the International Society of Biomechanics, which are interfaced with the AR system. The AR game then sends back visual and auditory feedback to the user.

The movements and positioning of the different sensors with respect to each other are achieved using the mathematical theory of dual-Quaternions. Dual-Quaternions offer a highly computationally efficient and unique way of representing rotations and translations in a three-dimensional space.

The SMARTCLAP project is funded by the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) (project reference R&I-2019-003-T). The project is led by Philip Farrugia from the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Malta. Other members of the research team are Owen Casha, Simon G. Fabri, Mario Farrugia, Matthew Bonello, Alexiei Dingli,  Nathalie Buhagiar and  David Sciberras. Further project details may be reviewed here

Sound Bites

•        Scientists have developed biodegradable algae-based hydrogels for strain-sensing devices — such as those used in health monitors worn by runners and hospital patients to track heart rate — using natural elements like rock salt, water and seaweed, combined with graphene. As well as being more environmentally friendly than polymer-based hydrogels, commonly used in health sensor technology, the graphene algae sensors perform strongly in terms of sensitivity.

•        NASA discovers ultra-rare ‘double quasar’ about to collide into a massive black hole. This double quasar system is 10 billion light-years away and could help astronomers uncover the secrets of the early universe. Quasars are among the brightest objects in the universe, emitting more light than the entire Milky Way.

For more soundbites, listen to Radio Mocha www.fb.com/RadioMochaMalta/.

DID YOU KNOW?

•        A flaky, itchy scalp does not always mean dandruff. It can be the result of a skin inflammation or an allergic reaction.

•        While dermatologists warn against shampooing your hair every day, dandruff poses the opposite problem and not shampooing enough will make dandruff worse.

•        Dandruff cannot be cured but it can be controlled.

•        Incorporating various fruits and vegetables that contain zinc and B vitamins will help with keeping the flakes at bay.

For more trivia, see: www.um.edu.mt/think.

 

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