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Magnetic retainer lets you operate machinery with your tongue, gives linguistics new meaning
Many people with debilitating conditions rely on sip and puff technology to get around, which is relatively lo-fi by some standards. Now, a special retainer with magnetic sensors could bring mobility into the smartphone age. Developed at Georgia Tech, the Tongue Drive System uses a magnetic piercing to track lingual gestures. The sensors then transmit data to an iOS app that translates it to on-screen or a joystick movement. Earlier versions used a headset, but the prototype revealed at the International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, is hoped to be more comfortable and discreet. The system is currently being trialled by 11 participants with high-level spinal-cord injuries, with larger trials planned.
MyVoice app for iOS and Android enables the mute to talk (video)
Talking is something most of us take for granted, but a new app called MyVoice -- currently available for iOS and coming soon to Android -- is attempting to give the ability back to those who aren't as fortunate. Developed by a group of University of Toronto students after being approached by a man who had a stroke, the location-based app allows users to "speak" pre-programmed text macros using text-to-speech. You can't add new phrases from within the app just yet, though for now there's an online portal that also allows relatives to configure strings and organize them into "places" for the ultimate user. We checked out the app and it seems to work as advertised -- there's a pretty extensive word pack that comes with it. You can score the free download at the more coverage link below, and we've got a video demo after the break.
UK charity opens gaming visitor center / gaming gadget incubator for the disabled
Disabled gamers currently form a small, but growing portion of the gaming community, and the folks from the UK's SpecialEffect video games charity are seeking to get a lot more of them gaming. SpecialEffect -- with an assist from UK Prime Minister David Cameron -- just opened a Video Games Visitor Centre to give those with disabilities a place to experience cutting-edge gaming tech designed for the disabled, like eye-controllers, in its GamesRoom. The Centre also has a GamesLab where "games and hardware are tested for accessibility" so game devs can adjust their wares to get even more people dishing out pwnage than ever before -- bring it on!
Hokies give (tactile) sight to the blind so they can drive, no word on turning water into wine
Daytona International Speedway is synonymous with speed, auto racing, and . . . blind people? Virginia Tech's Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa), along with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), recently debuted its sight-optional and street-legal SUV at the famed racetrack. Dr. Dennis Hong and his students first let blind folks drive a dune buggy without the help of a sighted copilot in 2009 -- as a first step to achieving the goal of a street-legal SUV for the sightless crowd. The SUV in question was designed for the NFB's Blind Driver Challenge, and is equipped with a drive-by-wire system -- also seen in the RoMeLa autonomous vehicle -- that was modified for use with RoMeLa's SpeedStrip and DriveGrip tactile interface technology. It works by using a laser rangefinder to map the surrounding area, relaying information for acceleration and braking to the driver by rumbling the SpeedStrip seat, and passing along turning info through vibrations in the DriveGrip gloves. The system was not developed solely for the purpose of getting blind drivers on the road, however, as Virginia Tech suggests that its technology could also be used in gaming applications. We're not quite ready to see blind drivers on actual roads just yet, but why shouldn't our sight-impaired friends get to enjoy Gran Turismo 5 with the rest of us? Video's after the break.
ReWalk exoskeleton on sale in January, for a price you can't afford
We've had our eyes on Argo Medical Technologies' ReWalk for a couple years, ever since the exoskeleton walked into view with a gait (and a sound) eerily reminiscent of RoboCop's. The device weighs seven pounds and features two leg braces with motorized joints and motion sensors, a harness, and a backpack for holding the computer that controls the device and a battery that should last a good three-and-a-half hours. In addition to giving paraplegics the ability to walk, this bad boy can be used to treat the health complications of those who cannot walk on their own, including digestive, cardiovascular, and circulatory issues. After clinical trials in the US and Israel, the device is due to go on sale to rehab centers worldwide this January. The cost for one will be in the $100,000 mark.
UCLA / Caltech researchers help patients move mouse cursors with their brains
It's certainly not a revolutionary new concept -- whiz kids have been tinkering with brain-controlled interfaces for years on end -- but a collaboration between UCLA scientists and colleagues from the California Institute of Technology has taken the idea one leap closer to commercialization. Itzhak Fried, a professor of neurosurgery at UCLA, kept a close watch (via embedded electrodes) on how a dozen humans reacted to certain images, and eventually, Fried and co. were able to show that Earthlings can "regulate the activity of their neurons to intentionally alter the outcome of stimulation." In other words, they were able to move a mouse cursor with just their mind, and brighten a test image with a 70 percent success rate. By honing the process of controlling what actions occur when focused on a given subject (or input peripheral), it opens up the possibility for paralyzed individuals to not only check their email, but also control prosthetic limbs. It's hard to say when this stuff will be put to good use outside of a hospital, but the video after the break definitely makes us long for "sooner" rather than "later."
Prototype car with tactile feedback challenges the blind to drive (update)
We can already imagine just what you're thinking -- the blind have no place behind the wheel, right? As it turns out, though, cars can steer themselves these days, so there technically no reason why (save a few laws) a computer-assisted blind person couldn't drive. Virginia Tech's RoMeLa successfully tested a laser-guided dirt buggy last year (see above), and teaming with the National Federation of the Blind this week, it intends to demonstrate a pair of full-sized augmented SUVs next year. In January 2011, the Daytona racetrack will play host to two heavily customized Ford Escape, filled with "nonvisual interfaces" like a vibrating vest and gloves (dubbed DriveGrip), a steering wheel that provides audio cues on when to turn, and a tablet device covered with tiny holes (called AirPix) that represents the road and obstacles around the vehicle with jets of compressed air. Even with all those gizmos, we understand if you still might not want your neighbors barreling down the street, but let's face it -- plenty of us sighted folks are just as visually impaired. Video and full press release after the break. Update: Dr. Dennis Hong of RoMeLa just informed us that though the auditory steering wheel was part of the laser-guided buggy, it won't appear on the Ford Escape. He also relates that letting the blind drive is merely a short-term goal -- the big picture here is to develop new interfaces for the blind, and safer transportation technology for all.
Ask Engadget: Good input device(s) and user interfaces for the 'over 80 crowd?'
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from a very concerned Mike, who is hoping to give his grandmother a way to properly interact with a laptop. "I am trying to configure out a really dumbed down and intuitive PC for my grandmother. She recently had a stroke and while she is under my care I would like to repurpose a laptop for her to surf and email her children. Anyone have any experience with what input devices and UI's are really understandable for the over 80 crowd?" We know this is a bit "out there" for Ask Engadget, but we get the feeling Mike isn't alone here. Anyone have any experience with unorthodox input devices and UIs designed for those with limited mobility and / or weakened vision? Spill the goods in comments below!
Bone-anchored hearing aids filter out noise, finally ready for human implantation
Think those noise-canceling earbuds are hot stuff? Imagine if said technology was applied to an advanced type of implantable hearing aid, and you'll have an idea of exactly what Earthlings with severe hearing loss now have to look forward to. For years now, we've watched as cochlear implants became more effective in lab tests, and up until recently, we've had strict medical testing procedures to thank for the inability to actually get one. Now, one Colin Hughes will soon be amongst the first Australians to enjoy a "new bone-anchored hearing aid designed to adjust to noisy environments, quiet conversations and the varying rhythms and pitch of music." Due to a birth defect that left him with atypically narrow eustachian tubes, Colin was never able to take advantage of traditional hearing aids for any length of time, but now these $12,000 (per pair) devices are promising a new life for the 70-year old bloke. Our favorite feature? MP3 players can be directly (and discretely) attached, enabling old geezers to tune out old hags without them ever noticing.[Thanks, Mike]
Laser-equipped Virginia Tech dirt buggy can be driven by the blind
And you thought those self-driving whips in DARPA's Urban Challenge were hot stuff. As the mighty Hokies look to prove their dominance in the field of engineering, a student team from Virginia Tech has assembled what amounts to a vehicle that can actually be driven by blind individuals. In short, the specially equipped dirt buggy is outfitted with an array of laser range finders, an instant voice command interface and a few other related systems that enable drivers to respond to whatever the vehicle "sees." Best of all, the project is far beyond the drawing board, with a blind driver (Wes Majerus) already singing praises about the vehicle and deeming it a "liberating" experience. Regrettably, there's no information on what the team plans to do with the vehicle going forward, but we do know it hopes to pass along the same technology to more street-legal motorcars.[Thanks, Trisha]
DeafBlind Communicator helps deaf / blind individuals communicate
Every so often, we stumble upon a new piece of technology designed to assist deaf and / or blind individuals, but we've yet to see a creation so complete as this. HumanWare, working in tandem with the Washington State Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, has concocted a DeafBlind Communicator to provide a trio of communication options to handicapped individuals: face-to-face-, TTY and SMS. The DBS system consists of two separate components -- the BrailleNote and a DB-Phone, the latter of which is a specially designed handset with a QWERTY keyboard and unique software that helps the deaf-blind community converse with bus drivers, waiters, friends, family, etc. The Braille menus enable those folks to easily strike up conversations and live life more easily, and it seems as if sales inquiries are being fielded as we speak.[Thanks, Drew]
Braille e-reader concept can't be far from reality
The technology's already here, we just need a venture capital firm and a determined entrepreneur to make it happen. A foursome of designers -- Seon-Keun Park, Byung-Min Woo, Sun-Hye Woo and Jin-Sun Park -- have banded together to create the above pictured concept, an e-reader for those with limited or no vision. Their Braille E-Book concept theoretically relies on electroactive polymers in order to change the surface's shape as pages are turned, and while we fully expect the battery life to suffer due to all the necessary commotion, it's definitely a start that needs to happen.
Researcher finds electrical stimulation key to rehabilitating paralyzed limbs
We've seen the wonders of electrical stimulation before, so it's no real shock (ahem) to hear that a University of Florida engineer has figured out a method to combine that very tactic with sophisticated computer learning technology in order to assist Earthlings in regaining "more precise, more life-like control of paralyzed limbs." Reportedly, the research could help around 700,000 Americans who suffer from strokes and 11,000 from cord injuries each year. Says the university's Warren Dixon (pictured): "It's an adaptive scheme to do electrical stimulation more efficiently, with less fatigue and more accuracy." Eventually, the dream is to build a wearable, pacemaker-sized device that could output the precise amount of stimulation at the perfect time in order to encourage natural movement, and it would also be able to adapt to each individual as it learns their habits and techniques. Not mentioned in the report, however, was just how beneficial this discovery could be to the scads of preposterously lazy Americans, too.[Via DailyTech]
Sprint WebCapTel On the Go brings call transcription to the mobile
Sprint has just made its WebCapTel service even better. In an effort to provide greater accessibility to Americans with hearing loss, the carrier has introduced the aforementioned service to allow "hard of hearing customers to read word-for-word captions on Windows Mobile 6 web browsers," and for what it's worth, it's also compatible with Safari 2.0. The free web-based system enables hearing impaired individuals to make a call using two phones -- one of which is used for reading captions while the other is used for listening and speaking. The process seems simple enough; before making a call, the user would log onto www.sprintcaptel.com on one device in order to receive the transcription of the discussion on the other. It's available now for calls made within the US (and its Territories).[Via RCRWireless]
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]
MIT developing autonomous wheelchair that listens when you speak
Oh MIT, do the wonders that come from your halls ever cease? Yet another remarkable development is emerging from the fabled institution, and this time it's an autonomous wheelchair that can remember important places in a given building (read: the hospital ward, your house, the local arcade, etc.) and then take you there on command. In other words, the voice recognizing chair could understand phrases of direction, such as "head to the kitchen," and it would take on the burden of navigating the halls while letting the rider chill. The researchers are implementing a system that can learn and adapt to the individual user, and in the future, they'd like to add in a collision-avoidance system and mechanical arms to help patients lift and move objects. Say, can regular joes / janes buy these? We're totally feeling this over the Segway.[Via medGadget]
Video: ReWalk exoskeleton helps paraplegics walk
ARGO Medical Technologies' ReWalk has been out a few months now, but it's tough to really appreciate what this thing can do unless you see a patient utilize one on video. Hailed as a "quasi-robotic ambulation system," the wearable device was specifically created to assist those with lower-limb disabilities and give them back upright mobility. In the video waiting in the read link, one particular individual relies on the ReWalk to stand up and move about after being stricken to a wheelchair for 20 years -- no need to take our word for it, though, real live proof is but a click away.[Via MedGadget]
Researchers devise neural implant that learns over time
Brain-machine interfaces have done quite a bit in helping handicapped individuals interact with prosthetic limbs, computers and other humans, but a new neural implant concocted at the University of Florida could make all those past devices look archaic. Put simply, researchers have discovered a method that would enable brain-machine interfaces to "adapt to a person's behavior over time and use the knowledge to help complete a task more efficiently." Until now, the brain was the instrument doing all the talking while the computer simply accepted commands; with this method, "the computer could have a say in that conversation, too." In all seriousness, this type of learning mechanism could be game-changing in the world of physical therapy, but we hesitate to give something mechanical inside of our body too much free will, ya dig?[Via Physorg]
DIY: Make your Rock Band drum kit wheelchair accessible
The raw, unbridled power of The Rocking is an equal opportunity force that can be tapped by anyone with a strong enough desire to evoke its boundless energies. Unfortunately, physical restrains can often limit a person's personal rocking aptitude, as most instruments are not created with those with disabilities in mind. Take, for instance, the Rock Band drum kit, which has a pedal that cannot be operated by those inflicted with paraplegia and other ailments affecting the lower body.Fortunately, for every peripheral made unaccessible to those with disabilities, there's an altruistic, MacGuyver-esque modder with a solution. The folks over at Kinetic Communications recently solved the bass drum dilemma with a doorbell receiver and some audio cable, placing the foot pedal substitute directly onto a pair of drumsticks -- and it only cost them around $20. If you're in need for a stick-pedal, they've got simple instructions on how to make your own. Rick Allen would be so very proud.
Xbox 360 kiosks headed to children's hospitals across the US
Here's your heartwarming story for the day. Microsoft has teamed up with Companions in Courage in order to bring "hundreds" of Xbox 360 kiosks to children's hospitals across the nation, and the gaming stations have already been installed at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle and the Children's Hospital of Orange County, California. The customized units are "hospital-friendly" and come pre-loaded with a variety of E and E10+ rated games, Y-rated television programs, G-rated movies and the Xbox Live headset / Vision camera in order for gamers to play online. Speaking of, each kiosk is wired to a private Live network which "allows hospitalized children across the country to play games and chat" with each other. There's no word on where the stations are slated to arrive outside of the three venues already mentioned, but those interested in broadening the reach of the endeavor can feel free to donate to the cause.[Via OhGizmo]
