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Interfaces For The Handicapped?

Posted by Cliff on from the stuff-to-read dept.

heller asks: "I'm wondering about ideas for different methods intefacing with the computer for the physically handicapped. I've got a family friend that has very limited motor control, and while he can peck away at a computer, it really is hard and time consuming. Plus, he can't control almost anything else around his house, TV, front door, phone, microwave. My current thoughts are that if we can get him to interface with the computer, we can make it so he can control everything else he needs to." We have basic voice recognition, and technologies like X10: could these technologies and others help make living for the handicapped any easier without costing lots of money? (Read on...)

"Pete, a long time family friend and founder of Pedal with Pete, was born with cerebral palsy (check the Web site for more information). This greatly inhibits his motor control. He enjoys bike riding but last June, was in serious bike accident (once again, more info on the Web site) and this only reduced his motor control. The man has incredible spirit and wants to live on his own, though he has to have home care nurses stop by every day to help him perform most of his daily activities.

He used to do lots of work on his computer pecking away with sticks strapped to both hands. Since his accident he has virtually lost control of one side of his body and has seriously reduced control on the other side, so this is no longer possible.

My current line of thinking is that if we can get him to be able to control a computer, we might be able to automate many of the other parts of his life so he doesn't have to rely on so much help from other people. While I definitely have several ideas on how to go about this, I'ld really like some other input. Does anyone have any ideas or new products they can point me to?"

We've already had a discussion about Voice Recognition in one of the first Ask Slashdots but that article is from '98 and I expect there has been a lot more progress in this areas since then. I may have to run a follow-up post to this if folks are interested.

4 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. Crips n' Puters by Ruthless_Advisorette · · Score: 5
    As a disabled person, I can attest that while computer make my life simpler in many ways, most of the VR software out there isn't up to snuff...It is geared towards the Able-bodied crowd and therefore usually requires significant hands-on work at some point in the process, be it during set-up or "correcting" things. In addition, many programs are only designed to type for a person. No thought is given as to how someone without limb function might actually GET TO Word or wherever to type. Software that lets you fully control your box and is actually affordable unfortunately seems to be a long ways off.

    New Mobility Mag. had a write up on Dragon Dictate in their latest issue. Only parts are available online and I've requested a full copy be made available to /. The article really goes a long way in giving a "disabled" spin on this. I've pasted what of the article I could grab online at the bottom.

    Ruthie - Compu-babe w/Multiple Sclerosis

    Is the Dragon Draggin'? The Rise and Fall of DragonSystems
    By Ben Mattlin

    Last spring, I replaced my 3-year-old computer, which included a 5-year-old version of DragonDictate, the voice recognition program that allows you to talk to your computer instead of typing on the keyboard or using a mouse. What a miracle it had been when I first got it! I'm a functional quad--have little use of my arms and no use of my legs--and I'd been unable to find any truly effective way of interacting with a computer until DragonDictate came along.

    I first saw a prototype demonstrated at a university laboratory in the 1980s, when it worked slower than catsup pouring out of a Heinz bottle and the complete setup ran about $20,000. Yet by 1991, a faster and more accurate DragonDictate was available for less than $5,000; thanks to the Department of Vocational Rehab, I was soon a grateful customer.

    I had the greatest respect for the company itself, DragonSystems, a small Newton, Mass.-based software developer that had practically invented voice recognition technology. What a team they had working there!

    Nowadays you can pick up a starter version of the software at any Best Buy store for about $20. But as DragonSystems has gone mainstream, it seems to have sold its soul. Service is no better or smarter than what you'd expect at McDonald's, and the program itself has become about as accessible and welcoming as a flight of stairs ...

  2. 2D vs. 1D input devices. by infodragon · · Score: 5

    Designing an i/o device for a physically impaired person is a difficult task. I've been thinking about this for quit a while and to get any where you have to understand the ideas behind the current way of doing things.

    A computer, for most of the desktops, has two primary input devices, the keyboard and the mouse.

    The keyboard is a conglomeration of many one dimensional buttons. A button is either on or off.

    The mouse is on a 2 dimensional plane with 1 to 3 one dimensional buttons.

    This combination has been very effective for creating input for a computer. In fact it can be argued that a keyboard is more productive than a mouse due to the time/movement factor. I can, with a couple of key strokes, do X but to use the mouse I have to move my hand and move the mouse to get the same thing done in 10x the amount of time. So following that line of logic a 1 dimensional input device is more efficient than a 2 dimensional input device. For the sake of efficiency it would be best to use a device with many 1 dimensional inputs, buttons, for a disabled person.

    The most successful input device for a physically impaired person, IMHO, is the 2 paddles that Stephen Hawking uses for communication. It is very slow and laborious but with a little patience he is able to get quite a bit done. From what I understand is that there are paddles, basically buttons, which provide 2 one dimensional inputs.

    Taken that this is a 2 bit system and a keyboard is based on ASCII, an 8 bit system (7 of them useable) you have 128 combinations. A 2 bit system has 4 so 128/4 = 32. So to get the same amount of work done out of the paddles you need to spend 32 times the amount of time.

    Now that all of that is understood, and probably poorly. A new form of input needs to be invented based on the specific needs of the specific person. You need to determine how many one dimensional planes can he interface with then design a system around that. If he has use of his feet they can be used in the interface also. In fact if enough 1 dimensional planes are identified and specifically tailored to his need he may be more productive on a computer than the better than average computer user.

    --
    If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
  3. Adaptive Hardware by calishar · · Score: 5
    One of the mailing lists I am subscribed to is for people who have survived a specific spinal trauma (Transverse Myelitis, fairly rare). The gentleman who runs the list is a vent-dependant quadripalegic, who has absolutely no use of his limbs.

    With the help of his brother he has built a pretty cool system (beats either of my two) and has been using a device called an Adap2U Keyboard Emulator System which allows him to use Sip'n'Puff through a straw to "type" using Morse Code.

    He also has a page on his site for disABILITY information and resources which seems to be an Ultimate collection of links.

  4. Other X10-Like Products by Andrew+Dvorak · · Score: 4
    I must make mention of other products much like those X10 produces to keep things fair ;) That's all, not much, but a start :-)