NCT06337188

Adaptive and Individualized AAC Phase II

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Altec Inc. · Industry
• Sex: All
• Age: 6 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The overall objective of this study is to develop an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system that is effective in delivering a person-centric communication device that will provide a versatile access method that can automatically learn and adapt to the user's physical abilities by creating a personalized, comprehensive keyboard interface for communication, not otherwise available to people in need of alternative communication.

Detailed description

The investigators propose an AAC device comprising a versatile access method that automatically learns and customizes a keyboard interface to the residual motor function of the individual. The team comprising scientists, speech researchers and clinicians is developing a prototype AAC system comprising versatile access method and personalized, comprehensive communication software. This will be achieved by developing hardware to support streamlined access across multiple points on the body, designing automated algorithms to rapidly create an expanded AAC interface, inclusive of letters, numbers, symbols, emojis, and word completion options, that is personalized based on the residual motor function of user-specific access points, creating software for point-of-care use of the access technology and interface, and evaluating the resulting AAC system for communication efficacy in individuals with severe motor impairments. The milestone will be to demonstrate that our AAC system improves Information Transfer Rate (ITR) and user experience over conventional AAC devices. The final AAC deliverable will be easily integrated with existing AAC tablets and mobile devices to provide those in need of alternative communication methods with an automatically customized, efficient, and intuitive solution to restore communication access in their daily lives. The project's involvement of human subjects for the purpose of research is primarily focused on testing our AAC system for usability, improved performance, acceptance, and perceived benefit among individuals with severe motor impairments.

Conditions

• Communication Disorders

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Experimental AAC	Participant receives an AAC system comprising 2 wearable sensors for movement-mediated cursor control and muscle activity mediated cursor selection that is integrated with an adaptive and individualized keyboard to test communication performance.
DEVICE	Generic AAC	Participant receives an AAC system that is similar to that used to satisfy their normal daily communication needs such as an eye-tracking device with a generic AAC keyboard to test communication.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-12-03
• Primary completion: 2026-03-01
• Completion: 2026-03-01
• First posted: 2024-03-29
• Last updated: 2025-09-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States