A novel approach to Mandarin Morse code recognition

Abstract

Morse code, with its single switch operation, has been shown to be a valuable tool in assistive technology, augmentative and alternative communication, and rehabilitation for people with various neuromuscular diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy. A major hindrance is a stable typing rate, which is strictly required for the recognition of Morse code characters, especially for persons with severe disabilities. In this paper, a combination of two methods, support vector machines and the variable degree variable step least-mean-square algorithm was used to increase the prediction accuracy for Mandarin Morse code recognition. Experimental findings revealed that the proposed method results in a better recognition rate when compared to alternative methods from the literature.