Non-intrusive tongue tracking and its applicability in post-stroke rehabilitation

Abstract

SMilestone is a medical software solution which achieves the goal of helping people who have lost their ability to speak as a result of neurological injuries such as strokes or brain tumors. It aids patients in the recovery process, improving the speed at which they recover while also alleviating the psychological implications associated with such a condition. All this is achieved by using a device called Kinect for capturing facial muscle and tongue movement. These captured movements are then used as input for games and activities that make use of occupational therapy and hasten the recovery process. This paper goes through the details of how the tongue movement tracking algorithm was developed in order to be used in speech recovery sessions.