Smart university: Software/Hardware systems for college students with severe motion/mobility issues

Abstract

The concept of a smart university requires universities to equip students with suitable software/hardware systems and assistive technologies that will help them to succeed in technological learning environments such as smart classrooms and labs, smart libraries, and smart campuses. Motion recognition systems have a potential to enable students with severe motion/mobility issues to interact more easily with computers, and, thus, promote activities that develop/improve student analytical, technical and communication skills, team working, problem solving through collaboration and social activities. This paper presents the up-to-date outcomes of a research project at the InterLabs Research Institute, Bradley University (Peoria, IL, U.S.A.) aimed at systematic research and analysis of main features of motion recognition systems and their applications in college/university educational settings. We identified universities that provide students with disabilities with motion recognition systems, analyzed main features of various open-source and commercial motion recognition systems. Based on the obtained outcomes of pilot testing of selected systems, we identified and recommended top open-source and commercial motion recognition systems for students with disabilities at smart universities.