Development of a Nonverbal Communication Support Tool for Individuals with Severe Disabilities

Abstract

Building a system that supports communication by presenting accurate verbal and nonverbal information in real time through various tools is essential for improving communication quality, particularly in interactions with individuals with severe disabilities. We are developing a support tool specialized in nonverbal information. Previously, we proposed displaying a communication partner’s emotions on a wearable monitor using an aura-like visualization. We first designed pictographs representing pleasant and unpleasant emotions and evaluated their effectiveness. In this study, we added onomatopoeic and symbolic expressions and found that preferences differed between male and female participants.