First experimentation of the Spartacus telethesis in a clinical environment.

A prototype 'telethesis', a telemanipulator for high level tetraplegic and similarly disabled persons, has been developed in the French Spartacus project. The system has a modular control structure, both in the choice of transducers and in the microprocessor programmes assuring the ergonomic link with the individual user. A special training procedure has been developed and tested both in the laboratory and in the hospital. Six tetraplegic patients have used the system in the laboratory and seven in hospital. The experience of 6 months of experimentation in the occupational therapy department with the seven patients is reported. The telethesis has been well accepted by four of them, two of whom have used it for prolonged periods of time. One case has not been adapted with great success prior to his departure, and in two others the use of the system has been rejected, largely for psychological reasons.

The Spartacus telethesis: manipulator control studies.

This paper describes a method and an experimental system permitting a severely handicapped operator, such as a quadriplegic, to control a telemanipulator. These developments form the first phase in the design of the Spartacus "telethesis". This is a manipulator system specifically developed for a quadriplegic person. Manipulator control experiments which are discussed concern four quadriplegics who have used the experimental system for significant periods of time. The present system is a laboratory simulation of a telethesis, consisting of an industrial manipulator controlled by a mini-computer. A flexible semi-sequential control and a variety of transducers permit the system to be adapted to the individual user. Thus far, the experiments performed have shown the feasibility for the four quadriplegics to effectively control a telemanipulator, using head movements and some remaining arm movements in various modes of end-point control. In particular, a position control and a "piloting" type of velocity control, both with the addition of some force limitation, have given promising results.