Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
899 results found in Assistive Technology.
- Motion Tracking (Motion Capture, MoCap, Body Tracking)
- Technology that records and analyses the movement of people or objects in real time, typically using cameras, sensors, or wearable devices to capture position, orientation, and velocity data. In acces…
- Motion capture (Mocap)
- The process of recording the movement of objects or people, typically using optical systems with reflective markers, depth cameras, or body-worn sensors. Motion capture is used in accessibility resear…
- Motor ability (Motor function, Motor capacity)
- The capacity to perform physical movements required for interaction with technology and the environment, encompassing sub-constructs including strength, dexterity, coordination, range of motion, speed…
- Motor control (Motor coordination, Movement control)
- The process by which the nervous system coordinates muscles and limbs to produce purposeful, accurate movement. Motor control involves planning movements, executing them, and using sensory feedback to…
- Mouse (Computer Mouse, Optical Mouse)
- A mouse is a hand-operated pointing device that translates relative motion across a flat surface into movement of an on-screen cursor, with one or more buttons and usually a scroll wheel for selection…
- Mouse Alternative (Alternative Pointing Device, Mouse Replacement)
- A mouse alternative is any input device or technique that lets a user perform pointer-control tasks — moving a cursor, clicking, dragging, selecting — without using a conventional mouse. For people wi…
- Mouse Emulation (Mouse Simulation, Virtual Mouse)
- Software or hardware that simulates mouse pointer movement, clicks, and other mouse actions using alternative input methods such as head tracking, eye gaze, joysticks, switch scanning, keyboard comman…
- Mouth Interface (Mouth-operated interface, Mouth-based input)
- An input modality that uses mouth movements - tongue position, cheek puffs, jaw motion, lip gestures, breath, or sip-and-puff - to control a computer, wheelchair, or XR system. Mouth interfaces serve …
- Mouth Joystick (Lip Joystick, Mouth-Operated Joystick)
- An assistive input device controlled by the user's mouth, lips, or tongue that functions as a pointer or gamepad joystick. The user moves a small stick held between the lips to direct cursor or on-scr…
- Multi-Sensory Environment (MSE, Snoezelen, Multisensory Room)
- A specially designed space that combines sensory stimuli — such as lighting, sound, textures, and aromas — to provide therapeutic, calming, or stimulating experiences for people with disabilities. Ori…
- Multi-touch Interaction (Multi-touch Input, Multi-touch Gestures)
- An input method where a touchscreen or trackpad recognises two or more simultaneous points of contact, enabling gestures such as pinching, rotating, and swiping with multiple fingers. In accessibility…
- Multilingual AAC (Multilingual Communication Device)
- Augmentative and alternative communication systems designed to support communication in multiple languages, reflecting the linguistic diversity of users and their communication partners. Multilingual …
- Multimodal AI (Multimodal Generative AI)
- Artificial intelligence systems capable of processing and generating content across multiple modalities such as text, images, audio, and video. In accessibility contexts, multimodal AI is significant …
- Multimodal Cueing
- Multimodal cueing is the simultaneous or selectable use of two or more sensory channels - typically visual, auditory, and somatosensory (vibrotactile) - to guide motor behaviour during rehabilitation …
- Multimodal Input (Multimodal Interaction, Multi-modal Input)
- An interaction approach that allows users to communicate with computing devices or systems through multiple input channels — such as touch, voice, eye gaze, head movement, facial expressions, hand ges…
- Multimodal Map (Audio-Tactile Map, Interactive Tactile Map)
- A map that conveys spatial information through multiple sensory channels simultaneously, typically combining tactile elements with audio output and sometimes visual or haptic feedback. Multimodal maps…
- Multitouch Surface (Multi-Touch Interface, Multitouch Interface, MTS)
- A multitouch surface is an input device that uses optical or capacitive sensors to detect and track multiple simultaneous finger contacts on a flat surface. Unlike conventional touchpads that rely on …
- Muscle Contraction (Voluntary Muscle Activation)
- The deliberate tensing of a muscle group that generates an electrical signal (electromyographic or EMG signal) detectable by surface electrodes. In assistive technology, intentional muscle contraction…
- Muscle-Computer Interface (MCI (Muscle-Computer Interface), EMG Interface)
- An input modality in which signals generated by muscle contractions — typically recorded via surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors worn on the forearm or other muscle group — are interpreted by a co…
- Mutual Support (Mutual support in HRI, Mutual assistance)
- In accessibility and human-robot interaction research, a framing that moves beyond one-way robot-supports-user or user-supervises-robot models toward a bidirectional relationship in which each party c…