Project Lead(s): Suresh Munuswamy
Issue
Around 400 million people living in the developing world are disabled and they are often the poorest members of society.
To qualify for benefits as a disabled individual in India, a disability certificate is required, which is granted after an examination by a doctor affiliated with a government hospital.
Fewer than 10% of disabled individuals in India have such a certificate due, in part, to the certification guidelines involving an expert assessment of physical parameters and range of movements that is based on a complex set of mathematical calculations.
Solution
The object of Project DAS Simple was to design and develop a digital home- or point-of-care-based reliable Locomotor Disability Assessment application.
This mobile application would guide the disability assessment, automate calculations, provide instant analysis, certify and then link the person to customized benefits and continuously track outcomes.
The aim of the app was to provide intuitive guidance to healthcare professionals to assess people with disabilities in an objective way.
User-friendly design and automation would mean any healthcare professional with limited training could use it on a mobile smartphone, ideally at the disabled person’s home.
Outcome
The team has successfully developed the world’s first real time augmented reality-based automated digital goniometer (ARGON), with over 95% consistent reliability.
ARGON is a web-based software application designed and developed by the team that can be used on any smartphone or tablet, with a touch-sensitive screen and a rear camera to automatically measure joint angles or physical range of motion.
The ARGON concept was selected because it has high, consistent, matching measures, in comparison with the mechanical universal goniometer (MUG).
Field trials have not yet been conducted due to project delays. However, the project team intends to complete the project and extend the concept.
Knowledge of the project has been disseminated through conferences.