Engineering Inclusive: Head-Controlled Electronic Device for Human-Computer Interaction

Interaction with the digital world is a recurrent barrier for people with physical disabilities, especially those with reduced or no upper limb mobility. Although peripheral human-computer interaction devices controlled by other limbs (lower limbs or head) exist, many are inaccessible due to their cost, complexity or lack of usability for the task. This study presents a working prototype of an electronic assistive humancomputer interaction device controlled by head movements, designed for users in low-resource environments. Based on Arduino Pro Micro and MPU-6050 IMU, the device translates head movements into on-screen pointer interaction control, with an automatic click function that is activated after 5 seconds of cursor fixation. The hardware is housed in a customized structure 3D printed using recycled PET-G and optimized for comfort and ease of use. The process was structured following a Human Centered Design (HCD) methodology, which iterated the development of the prototype with a group of real users with multiple disabilities served by a foundation whose activity is focused on the care of people with disabilities and motor problems. After calibration and parameter adjustment, users demonstrated improved interaction capabilities, with increased efficiency in the execution of key tasks such as on-screen pointer addressing and positioning and basic navigation, and user acceptance scores were established for usability. The device is portable, low-cost, and replicable, making it a promising option for initial testing and potential application in educational institutions, rehabilitation centers, and home environments. By removing interaction barriers, this solution contributes to social inclusion and contributes from a concrete application of biomedical engineering to assistive technologies. It is expected that future phases of the research will add assessments tailored to various usage scenarios and more complex tasks.