This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will assist manufacturer's in the development of aids for people with disabilities. New software concepts call for integration with existing CAD systems and animation packages and require various tools and facilities to support product conceptualization, consumer evaluation, virtual prototyping, and design iteration. The new software system will support external input devices to interact with virtual prototypes, thereby evaluating disability behaviors such as spasticity, tremor, and movement constraints of disabled users. The concept's potential to provide three-dimensional modeling comparability would support use of design information over both corporate intranets and the external internet. Phase I will test various system modules through a design case study based on an available sotware product. Potential commercial applications are expected in affordable design aid and evaluation tools to develop consumer-specific aids for people with disabilities. Manufacturers and rehabilitation professionals need a design and evaluation software tools to develop aids for people with disabilities. This new softwarel would provide a rapid prototyping tool specifically tailored for disabled individuals.
