Design of an Assistive Device for Older Age People Suffering from Essential Tremor

Abstract

Essential tremor (ET) is a nerve disorder characterized by uncontrollable shaking, or "tremors," in different parts and on different sides of the body. Areas affected often include the hands, arms, head, larynx (voice box), tongue, and chin. The lower body is rarely affected. ET is not a life-threatening disorder, unless it prevents a person from caring for him or herself. Essential tremor is characterised by rhythmic shaking that occurs during voluntary movement or while holding a position against gravity. The two types of tremor include: Action tremor – a voluntary movement such as lifting a cup to one's mouth and Postural tremor – a voluntary holding of a position against gravity such as reaching or extending one's hand or arm. Most people with essential tremor experience both postural and action tremor. Most people are able to live normal lives with this condition -- although they may find everyday activities like eating, dressing, or writing difficult. It is only when the tremors become severe that they actually cause disability. So, the aim of this project is to design an assistive device for older age people suffering from essential disorder which can be able to nullify the tremor produced in the hand with maximum percentage of efficiency and ergonomically designed for easy use. The main objective of the project is focusing on the design of an intelligent device that can recognize the tremor automatically by differentiating the frequency at normal stage and at the shaking stage in order to accomplish the neutralizing effect in the shortest possible time