assistive technology
Latest
Designer uses her nose and an Apple Trackpad to create these incredible compositions
Designer Michelle Vandy had to get creative with her tools when she lost the use of her hands after developing a repetitive stress injury in her arms. In a profile by Core77, Vandy explains how she learned to draw and design using her nose and an Apple Magic Trackpad. I was sitting in my room late one evening fiddling around with this external touchpad I had lying on my desk and without thinking, lifted it up to eye level and touched it with my nose. "Click". I tried swiping too - it worked! I opened up photoshop with shaking fingers, hadn't opened it in months! I had a few more goes holding the trackpad to my nose and swiping left and right, up and down and the movements felt strangely natural to me. Vany uses a combination of a Manfrotto tripod, a Magic Trackpad and a tripod plate with velcro strips to attach the trackpad to the mount. It didn't take long for her to adapt to her new way of drawing, and the results are stunning. You can read more about her story on her website, www.looknohands.me, and check out her painting demo in the YouTube video below.
ReSound LiNX launches "Made for iPhone" hearing aid
Thanks to a love of loud music, my father wears a hearing aid. For similar reasons, I'm probably going to eventually need a hearing aid. While hearing aid technology has improved every year since they were first introduced in 1898, hearing aids can still be incredibly uncomfortable to use with cell phones. Adjusting and readjusting volume when you switch from phone to in-person conversation and being forced to remove and store your hearing aid to listen to media via headphones are just a few of the issues users face. But the ReSound LiNX is aiming to change that. ReSound LiNX is the world's first hearing aid made explicitly for iOS users. The compact system works as both a hearing aid and an audio streaming tool, opening previously impossible doors for hearing-impaired users. Using its streaming capabilities, ReSound wearers can have the audio from their iOS devices directly transmitted through their hearing aids. With normal hearing aids audio is picked up through the phone speaker by the hearing aid microphone, which can create feedback or distorted audio. ReSound transfers the audio directly through from your iOS device to your LiNX hearing aid, similar to a Bluetooth headset. The hearing aids can also stream music, podcasts, turn by turn driving directions, and other audio directly from your phone or Apple TV. Of course streaming via LiNX has other benefits. One of the common issues hearing aid wearers can face is sound levels that suddenly shift. Different rooms carry sound in different ways, leaving the hearing-impaired to either change hearing aid volume on the fly or settle for muddy sound. LiNX fixes this issue via its ReSound Smart app for customizing sound levels, down to how just how much treble or bass you experience. You can have presets for restaurants, concerts, your car, or anywhere else your heart desires. The simple touch controls are ideal for users who may be new to smartphones. ReSound is making some very big, and very exciting, promises with the LiNX. If you've ever watched loved ones struggle with the frustrations of modern hearing aids, the idea of LiNX is incredibly exciting. Currently no announcements have been made regarding pricing or availability. Head over the ReSound LiNX website to sign up to receive email updates as they become available. You can watch an educational video for the product below.
Blind iPhone owners may get People Finder app
It's easy for two people to meet up at the mall. They just arrive at the appointed time and look for each other. This simple task is not so easy for blind people, who could be right around the corner from each other and not realize it. According to the BBC, this is a problem that Mike May from Sendero Group is trying to solve with his People Finder app. People Finder is a prototype app that uses GPS and Bluetooth to help you find someone nearby. It uses voice prompts -- near or cold -- to let you know if you are close to the friend that you are trying to meet. It also alerts the other person when you are closing in on their location, so they can start searching for you, too. Currently, 100 people are testing the app and May is looking for funding to help expand its reach. May was recently demoing the app at the CSUN accessible technology conference. You can read more about the project in the BBC article. Thanks, Chancey!
New pererro device for iOS offers switch access to the disabled
UK-based RSLSteeper makes assistive technology for use in the classroom and at home, for all age groups and a wide variety of needs. It has recently released the "pererro," which provides switch access to iOS devices for those with fine- and gross-motor control issues. At 30 × 28 × 9 mm, the pererro is roughly the size of Apple's iPad Camera Connection Kit and attaches to an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch via a 30-pin connection. It features a standard 3.5mm mono jack socket, so it can accomodate a variety of switches, including the popular Big Red Twist Switch. RSLSteeper also notes that the pererro also works with "almost any VoiceOver-enabled app." Switch interfaces let users with motor impairments use devices like the iPad for communication, work and fun. I could not find pricing information on the pererro, but RSLSteeper asks interested parties to email or call with questions.
Backlit e-readers such as iPad help those with vision loss
A study presented on Sunday at the 116th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology says that tablets with backlit screens, such as the iPad and Kindle Paperwhite, help patients with vision problems due to eye diseases to read quickly and comfortably. In particular, the study points out that the millions suffering from conditions like macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy can read faster and with more accuracy thanks to the ability to change the text size and increase the contrast between page and text. At present, many people with low vision need to use lighted magnifiers or reading machines to assist them, and those assistive devices slow down reading speed considerably. Patients in the study with the poorest vision who used an iPad set at 18 point font saw an increase in reading speed of 42 percent. The study notes that just about any backlit reader can help low-vision patients achieve similar results. [via MacNN]
Research: iPod touch benefits workers with autism
We often hear about iOS devices being used in schools and in the workplace, but a recent study from researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University shows how the device can be beneficial for those struggling with autism. The study was recently published in the the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation and is part of a longer four-year study being conducted in conjunction with Virginia Career Support Services and the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The researchers used the iPod touch with three working adults who were diagnosed with the developmental disorder. Each person was given an iPod that was configured with apps to help them perform tasks at their job. The apps included reminders, progress trackers and music to calm them when they got frustrated. The trio were followed by an occupational therapist and a job coach during their time with their device. In two cases, the people improved their job performance and required less assistance from their job coach. In another case, the individual was able to navigate safely to and from work. The study had a small sample size, so you can't pull out too many conclusions from the results. It does, however, suggest that an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch may be beneficial as an assistive device for those with disabilities. You can read more about the study in the article on Disability Scoop. [Via Disability Scoop]
EyeRing finger-mounted connected cam captures signs and dollar bills, identifies them with OCR (hands-on)
Ready to swap that diamond for a finger-mounted camera with a built-in trigger and Bluetooth connectivity? If it could help identify otherwise indistinguishable objects, you might just consider it. The MIT Media Lab's EyeRing project was designed with an assistive focus in mind, helping visually disabled persons read signs or identify currency, for example, while also serving to assist children during the tedious process of learning to read. Instead of hunting for a grownup to translate text into speech, a young student could direct EyeRing at words on a page, hit the shutter release, and receive a verbal response from a Bluetooth-connected device, such as a smartphone or tablet. EyeRing could be useful for other individuals as well, serving as an ever-ready imaging device that enables you to capture pictures or documents with ease, transmitting them automatically to a smartphone, then on to a media sharing site or a server. We peeked at EyeRing during our visit to the MIT Media Lab this week, and while the device is buggy at best in its current state, we can definitely see how it could fit into the lives of people unable to read posted signs, text on a page or the monetary value of a currency note. We had an opportunity to see several iterations of the device, which has come quite a long way in recent months, as you'll notice in the gallery below. The demo, which like many at the Lab includes a Samsung Epic 4G, transmits images from the ring to the smartphone, where text is highlighted and read aloud using a custom app. Snapping the text "ring," it took a dozen or so attempts before the rig correctly read the word aloud, but considering that we've seen much more accurate OCR implementations, it's reasonable to expect a more advanced version of the software to make its way out once the hardware is a bit more polished -- at this stage, EyeRing is more about the device itself, which had some issues of its own maintaining a link to the phone. You can get a feel for how the whole package works in the video after the break, which required quite a few takes before we were able to capture an accurate reading.
Panasonic shows us its softer side, intros trio of high-tech robotic helpers
The infirm in Japan have nothing to fear when it comes to assisted care -- except maybe for a robot revolt. From the land that gave us the robo-care bear, comes three new compassionate tech solutions for elderly care taking courtesy of Panasonic. Shown off ahead of this October's 38th International Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition in Tokyo, the electronics giant has updated its currently in residence medication monger with HOSPI-Rimo -- a refreshed design that links the "bed ridden [and those with] limited mobility" to doctors, family and friends via its HD interface. And just because you're staying at home, it doesn't mean the company's Hair-Washing bot can't help you get your hair did, and listen to you complain about how the kids never come to see you anymore. For the piece de assistance, Panasonic's also gone and modded a bed that's more than meets the eye -- literally, as it transforms into an electric wheelchair to scoot you about the house. We have to hand it to the tech outfit, our latter days are starting to look pretty cutting edge.
Apple enables 'Assistive Touch' features on iPad in latest iOS 5 beta
Apple has enabled a very cool feature for iPad users in the latest beta of iOS 5. "Assistive Touch" allows users to perform gestures and button actions on the iPad with one touch. Users can call up the Assistive Touch menu by tapping a designated corner of the iPad's screen. The menu itself is similar to the bezel overlay that appears when adjusting the iPad's volume. As noted by MacRumors, the Assistive Touch menu "allows one-tap access to all of the iPad's functions including rotation, shaking, volume changes and even gestures. Known gestures such as pinch and swipe can be recalled by a tap, and custom gestures can even be recorded and played back on command." Assistive Touch is primarily meant to help those who might have trouble using some of the gesture elements of the iPad's multitouch features, like the elderly. The feature's settings were present in earlier iOS 5 beta's but were not enabled until the release of iOS 5 beta 3 earlier today.
Macworld 2011: Expressive helps the speech impaired learn and communicate
Speech therapist Barbrara Fernandez founded Smarty-Ears apps last January and has since created over 15 apps for the field. I spoke to her about Expressive (US$29.95) an augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) app that at first seems similar to the much more expensive Proloquo2Go, but it serves two purposes. Like most AAC apps or devices, it allows those without the power of speech due to Autism, Downs Syndrome or even temporary verbal problems to communicate. Tapping on categorized symbols allow one to build phrases that are spoken. The app contains 450 pre-set symbols and more can be added. The second purpose of the app is to teach language and the relationship between symbols and words. Many children have a limited vocabulary and too many unfamiliar symbols would be confusing and overwhelming. "You can start out and delete everything and slowly build the vocabulary and specifically design the application to meet the needs of a student. I think that's the main concept here." Expressive helps with "limited expressive language communication skills," so it's appropriate for all levels of communication disorders. Expressive is meant to be used by speech therapists in conjunction with parents to build a child's vocabulary and communication skills. In its simplest iteration, you would start with a noun. When that has been learned, an instructor can add modifying words and build up from there. Although it may sound simple, seeing a picture of a ball and understanding that it represents all balls may not be obvious for some. There is an edit mode where symbols can be added or deleted and a user mode that doesn't allow changes. Without this, a child could inadvertently delete everything.
Rep. Giffords' recovery includes the iPad
As reported by Reuters earlier today, the ongoing recovery and rehabilitation of wounded Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has progressed very well since the tragic and deadly assault at her event 12 days ago. Dr. Michael Lemole, the chief of neurology at Tucson's University Medical Center, noted that Giffords has demonstrated several key skills: "She is beginning to stand with assistance, she is scrolling through an iPad -- these are all fantastic advances for her. They do show higher cognitive function," he said. While it's certainly possible to frame Dr. Lemole's reference to the iPad as merely an example of the sort of thing Giffords and other brain trauma patients are able to attempt in the days and weeks after their injuries, the other side of the story is that the iPad has quietly begun to turn the world of assistive/adaptive technology -- specialized software, hardware and medical devices aimed at improving function and quality of life for people with disabilities or challenges -- on its head.
iPads bring accessibility to the disabled at a far lower cost
It's only been half a year since its introduction, but the iPad has already become a major player in the field of assistive technology, helping disabled people communicate. A number of studies are underway (and many more are in the planning stages) to offer much-needed data on the effectiveness of the iPad and other iOS devices in this area. A few days ago, The New York Times ran a piece about the implications of the iPad to the disabled community. The Times tells the story of Owen Cain, a victim of a degenerative disease called spinal muscular atrophy. He acquired the disease as an infant, and there is no known cure for it. Although his parents bought him a number of computer devices to make his life more pleasant, they were all failures -- until he met the iPad. With his arms in slings, Owen was able to touch an icon on an iPad and run Gravitarium, an inexpensive app that plays soothing music while displaying colorful stars. It doesn't take lot of strength to swipe a page or tap a button on the iPad -- certainly less than if a device had hard buttons. Now, Owen is using Proloquo2Go to communicate, reading books such as Alice for the iPad (shown in the video after the break), and his repertoire of app-enabled abilities is growing. Interacting with the iPad has improved Owen's life to a large degree.
Proloquo2Go gets a major update
Proloquo2Go (US$189.99) is the most fully featured augmentative and alternative communication device (AAC) we've yet covered. It provides iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad owners who do not have the ability to speak well enough to be understood (and that number is estimated to be 2.5 million Americans alone) a fully functional and quite customizable solution that rivals stand-alone devices that can cost up to $8,000. This is a universal app, and as such, it takes full advantage of the iPad screen. It's really quite a marvel. Its developer, AssistiveWare, was one of the first to release apps for the assistive technology community, and they do a great job of listening to their customers and providing support. This attention has paid off with the first major revision to Proloquo2Go taking it to version 1.4, which was released earlier this month. The update includes many new enhancements and features, including: Optimization of over 7,000 graphic symbols to take advantage of the Retina display of the iPhone 4 and new iPod touch The addition of higher quality voices The ability to backup the user customized vocabulary through iTunes File Sharing on the syncing computer (as long as the mobile device is using iOS 3.2 or better) Faster conversion of text to symbols Much quicker uploading of the saved vocabulary from the syncing computer to the app via Wi-Fi. and many other under-the-hood bug fixes. These changes make a marked difference in the feel and flow of using ProloQuo2Go. It now seems quite a bit more responsive. The update is free and results in making an already remarkable achievement that much better.
Helping autistic children with iOS devices
Autism is a developmental brain disorder that, in some manner, plagues one out of every 110 children (according to the Centers for Disease Control). It's usually discovered by the time the child is three years old. Varying medical and scientific authorities characterize the condition in different ways, but scientists generally agree that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) manifest themselves in social, communication, and behavioral challenges. The SF Weekly recently wrote about a number of families with autistic children and how the iPad is proving to be quite useful in helping them. A number of studies have been done on the use of iPhones and iPods as aids for the autistic. One such study was titled iPod Therefore I Can: Enhancing the Learning of Children with Intellectual Disabilities Through Emerging Technologies, and it tracked the progress of 10 autistic children who were using iPod touches in Australia. The results were quite encouraging. In one case, a child who could not wash his hands was exposed to photos (combined with voice-overs) of a child doing it successfully. Through this method, the correct behavior was reinforced, and in short order, the child was able to wash his hands by himself. About 60 percent of the goals of the study were achieved. The results of this and other studies have been encouraging, but a major problem for 60 to 80 percent of autistic children is poor motor skills, including poor motor planning, which makes using the small buttons on an iPhone or iPod touch quite difficult. Because of the larger size of an iPad, it can be much more accessible to a larger number of autistic children.
Digit-Eyes identfies everything for the blind without breaking the bank
The Digit-Eyes Audio Scanner and Labeler (US$29.95) from Digital Miracles is a remarkable Assistive Technology (AT) app for the iPhone and iPod touch geared to the blind and visually impaired community. What it does is fairly straightforward once you get the big idea, but the implications of its uses are fairly mind-boggling. The app does three things. The first and simplest is, using the built in camera, scanning UPC and EAN codes found on most everything. Taking advantage of the VoiceOver accessibility capability built into the iPhone/IPod touch, it searches a database, brings back the results and reads it to you. There is also a button to search Google for more information. That's really no big deal since a variety of barcode scanning apps such as Red Laser can do roughly the same thing. You need an Internet connection for this since you are referencing the Digit-Eyes database. The second thing it does, is more compelling. Once you register for a free account on their site, you can create text labels for printing on over 50 sizes of standard Avery labels. Select a type of label and a template page is displayed full of empty boxes representing labels. In each box, type in up to 100 characters of anything you want the label to say. Once done, all your text is transformed into a .pdf page of QR (quick recognition) codes like the one shown in the upper right corner of this post. Print the page on the Avery label stock, and stick each on whatever you wanted the label to say. For example, if you typed in "Blueberries bought on July 31st", you would stick that corresponding label on a container of blueberries. Then using the Digit-Eyes app, scan the label on the container and the screen will display and a voice will read back "Digit-Eyes label read: Blueberries bought on July 31st". The database of what's behind each label is stored on your iPhone so you won't need an Internet connection to access the information. %Gallery-98575%
The iPad could be the best mobile accessibility device on the market
In 1995 Dr. Norman Coombs, a blind professor of history at the Rochester Institute of Technology and chairman of EASI: Equal Access to Software and Information wrote that the rapid adoption of a graphical user interface (GUI) would close the door on computing for the visually impaired. This was in largely in response to the Microsoft's Windows OS, but his point was well taken regarding all GUI based computing. Speech output systems, at that time, were based on character recognition and didn't work with a GUI that relied on icons and graphics. He wrote that many impaired users had lost their employment or found their positions downgraded because they could not function in the new GUI based environment. Jump to 2010 and the introduction of the iPad. Many solutions were created along the way, but comparing that early state of affairs to what is now available on the iPad dramatically shows how far the field of assitive technology has progressed. ATMac, posted a round-up of disabled user's experiences with the iPad, which according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in the UK was found to be highly accessible and probably the best mobile device on the market.
Proloquo2Go: Assistive communication for the iPhone and iPod touch
Proloquo2Go [iTunes Link] is not your usual iPhone/iPod touch app. It turns the mobile device into a full augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. According to the AAC Institute, an estimated 2.5 million Americans are speech disabled to the extent that they experience significant difficulty being understood by other people. Reasons vary, but are often the result of congenital illness or ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). 75% of people using AAC devices have ALS. One alternative is learning how to use sign language, but that requires both adequate sensory motor ability of the user and a knowledge of sign language expected in the listener. It's a solution that helps some, but not all. When signing is not available or appropriate, using an AAC device may well be. AAC devices use combinations of symbols, words, sounds and technology to allow people without functional vocal abilities to communicate. The cost of such devices range from around US$3,500 to US$8,500 for something about the size of a Speak and Spell. In contrast, the Proloquo2Go app has a price of US$189.99. If someone is in the market for an AAC system, it is one of the biggest bargains in the entire App Store for any iPhone or iPod touch running OS 2.1 or higher. Proloquo2Go took the uncommon route of using existing hardware to run a complex AAC system. It's nearly impossible to describe the use of the system through words, though I'll try, but I'd suggest you check out some detailed videos walking you through the process in some depth.
New technology provides greater control to paraplegic pianists
Technology allowing paraplegics to operate the right pedal of a piano has been developed by a team of scientists in Heidelberg Germany, trumping earlier systems which didn't allow for half pedal or flutter variations. The device consists of a tiny remote module that's placed inside the pianist's right cheek, and a wireless transmitter and motor attached to the pedals of the piano. A small battery in the left cheek of the user provides up to twelve hours of power. The player grits their teeth when they want to control the pedal -- the module is sensitive to different amounts of pressure, which allow the pianist greater control over footing than previous tools. From the sounds of it, this thing would work just as well on a wah pedal, right?
Researchers advance remote monitoring systems for the elderly
Assistive technologies are old hat, but a team of researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington (among other institutions) is working to provide a more robust, all-inclusive option for elderly individuals who'd prefer to age gracefully within their own domiciles. In theory, sensors could be embedded throughout seniors' homes in order to "detect when the residents have sleepless nights or forget to take their medication." From there, caregivers would be alerted and could react remotely via a web-based communications portal. The UTA lab that's perfecting the idea currently utilizes a single room equipped with cameras, motion detectors and robots, and professors / students keep a close eye on any movement that gets recorded and transferring to computers for processing. If all goes well, a collaboratively built "home of the future" will actually be on display at CES 2009, likely showcasing some of these very advancements.[Image courtesy of Michael Mulvey / DMN, thanks Travis]
