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Communicating with Handicapped Loved Ones?
Trx asks: "Many of us regularly exchange digital images from our loved ones, but the disabled are often left on the dark side of this digital divide. My dad is quadriplegic, and I've been looking into ways I might outfit his room with an automated download of images to his television. Have any Slashdot users attempt something of this sort? He lives in an assisted living facility, with personal telephone/cable lines. He has special response buttons for control of television channels and phone. Due to high staff-turnover, training-in staff to help him download emails or images hasn't worked out. I am stationed overseas, and can only get back once every 6 months if I'm lucky, so low-maintenance is key. WebTV would be an option if it didn't require mouse or keyboard. We've also considered investing in a laptop DVD player, and mailing disks. Any suggestions?"
Now if you wanted to give him some controll (forward, back, pause, etc) that could be much trickier. The best I can think of off the top of my head (and this wouldn't be too easy) would be to set it up with a microphone and teach it to listen for whistles or some such. One quick whistle is stop, two is forward, etc. Or you could use different pitches (A is stop, B is forward, etc). That would be easy to controll once he got the hang of it and would require no controll device, wouldn't have to be rigged into the ones currently provided, etc.
Of course that assumes he knows how to whisle. He does know how to whistle doesn't he? He just puts his lips together and... sorry, couldn't resist.
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
You mention a laptop with DVD player. An easier solution is simply a DVD player. Creating a DVD or VCD with a sequence of still images is very easy. With the correct indexing it is easy to go forward and back between images. Google for it.
Another simple solution is to have your digital pictures printed out and delivered. There are many shops that do this. It is inexpensive. The big advantage is that there is nothing to break. Also no staff need special training (ditto for a dvd player). There is also an added bonus in that your father can easily display photos that he likes.
Without this information (and possibly more) it's kinda hard to say what would be best for you and your father. One thing you might want to look into is the new Mac mini since you can easily add S-video output to his TV and Mac OS X requires a lot less upkeep than Windows.
--Paul
Plain old 3x5 pictures are probably the best way to go. Many places can develop 3x5 pictures from both 35mm and digital sources. Sure, postage may be a little more, but there's nothing to break, requires no training, and he can easily have some staff member simply sit at his bed-side and flip through them for him.
Frink: Nice try floyd, but you were designed for scrubbing, and scrubbing is what you shall do.
Okay, maybe this isn't practical, but here goes:
Code an extension for Thunderbird that parses incoming email for certain keywords (code words you provide/select to prevent false positives) and for attachments. It then collects attached photos, and ports them to a second/dedicated video card connected to the/a TV. It will cycle through the photos n times then stop, "reset," and wait for the next batch of email/images.
You think?
No flames, please. Havent't coded in about 10 years, but used to do some similar stuff for other realtime applications, so know it is possible, just not how practical.
Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.
I don't know if it's feasable in his situation, but the Mac line has a decent voice recognition, and with training can be set up to respond fairly accurately to simple commands. It also allow scripting to add more commands, and works with the e-mail and web browser for most basic functions. Perhaps you should look into that?
You can have it fast, accurate, or pretty. Pick any 2.
MediaMVP is a device that hooks up to your computer via ethernet, and hooks to the TV via SVideo. It can play MP3s, show still photos, and play MPEG1 and MPEG2 movies.
Since he can control a TV using a remote control type device, then he should be able to control this using a remote control.
I can think of a couple of solutions. For example: You get a cheap desktop or laptop computer. You use it for nothing but your father electronic picture downloader. You turn it on, and it automatically runs a web browser with a script that does a slideshow of all the photos on a particular web site. (A little serial port or IrDA hacking could maybe interface the slideshow with your father's existing gadgetry; otherwise you can just put the whole thing on a timer.) The web site belongs to you, and you just upload new photos to it whenever you want your father to see them. With a little work, you could also add audio files for narratives and background music.
That's just one idea -- a little brainstorming would produce a couple more. If you lack the expertise to do the necessary software hacking, I'm sure you could find some volunteer labor. (I'd be pleased to offer my own skills.) The same goes for hardware hacking, though for that you'd need somebody on the scene.
You could create a webpage that refreshes itself every couple of minutes or so and displays full size photos chosen at random from a folder on the site. Plenty of prefab scripts out there that can do that. Just set up a laptop in his room and all the orderlies need to do is open Firefox with your photo page set as the default home page. You could also use this to send him message s by just editing the page. he wouldn't need to do anything as long as he has a dedicated phone line that can be online all the time. If he doesn't and can only be on sporadically, then just type up some simple instructions on how to double click the "Internet" button and then double click the "Firefox" button so the orderlies can get him signed on and tape it to the desk where the machine sits.
I dunno...maybe something like that.
k
This too, will end.
See, for example, http://www.tightvnc.com/: "TightVNC is a free remote control software package derived from the popular VNC software. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sitting in the front of that computer."
In the 1980's I worked on 'adaptive devices' for the handicapped. Many of the suggestions I see here are great, but I know there is 'old tech' out there that will help. There was, and may still be, an outfit in Stout-Meninomee (sp) Wisconson that published "Closing the Gap', a journal dedicated to the handicapped and adaptive tech. If you look around, there are many specialized devices that will allow a quadraplegic to operate a PC- puff switches, eye trackers, nod switches, voice activated controls, and the like. You might be suprised at how well a trained dictation program coupled with a set of scripts can run a menu. I have to believe that if we could do it with a Apple ][ and 48k of RAM, it's still do-able . I would suggest that you stay away from the bleeding edge, and stick with the less sexy but bulletproof stuff.
Take him to that hospital in Korea that recently implanted stem cells in a woman's damaged spinal cord to regrow it. She can walk again.
Come up with enough money and be persistent, and I'm sure you can find someone to do it. Hell, if you set up a website to take donations, I will definitely donate. This would be one of the greatest gifts of all to someone that has been disabled due to a spinal cord injury.
That way you can log in from your overseas location chat to him, pop images up on the screen for him and generally have a 'father and son' session. (Others have also suggested VNC.) If using an x-box could something be done with the x-box controller for local control??
You can also admin the box from your remote location. Provided you keep upgrades to only what is necessary the box should be quite stable (I suggest Debian stable). It is important not make any changes which risk prevent the machine from rebooting (such as upgrading the kernel). In the event the system hangs by itself you may have to phone up and get someone to turn the power switch off then on.
I administer my dad's email remotely. It has worked well so far. Admittedly what I am suggesting is well beyond this.
There are several adaptive technologies that would allow your father to actually use a computer, not just display photos, although he could easily do that as well.
I know that some years back, I did some work with a local charity here to assist them in adapting the IHADS targeting system to be an on screen head-mounted pointing device. Combined with an on screen keyboard like this http://march-of-faces.org/resources/vkt.html and there are several of these available, your father could have full use of a computer.
I don't know if your father is interested in using a computer but this seems that he would be. I know that several alternative access methods exist and depending on his specific disabilities something should be available that will allow him full access to the internet.
If you need contact information, drop me a line. I think I still have the stuff from those guys.
2 cents, Queen BHDGary secures my bank
I'm assuming there are no other relatives nearby that you could send the images to that are able/willing to print them on inkjet (or use one of those photo-print deals) and take them to him physically.
The unix box that you could log into remotely, place upload the pictures to (ftp, scp, whatever floats your boat), and then remote control to show them onscreen (or heck you could hook an inkjet printer to it, leave a supply of ink cartridges, and the paper and ink loading instructions next to, and you could just remotely print each image, and the local staff could tape them up in his room (and reload the printer supplies as needed)
You could even do both, have a printer, as well as a remote-control (or automated) slideshow.
I'm wondering if you might be able to make something work with Tivo?
I use iPhoto on my Mac, and then share my photos with my Tivo over a wireless LAN. One possibility might be to find a way to transfer the photos to iPhoto and then your dad could use the Tivo remote to pick which pictures to see.
Given that the Mac comes with unix utils, I'm thinking that a wget script could be used to pull the photos to the Mac, and then probably an applescript could be used to add new photos automatically to the iphoto collection.
This assumes that the Mac could have intermittent Internet access.
I've never done this, but would be willing to do some research if you're interested. I'm thinking that a Mac mini and a 40 hour tivo, and various LAN components could give you a solution for less than $1,000.
Drop me an email if you want me to look into this.
Just a thought.
Anomaly
But Herr Heisenberg, how does the electron know when I'm looking?
You might want to contact the SHARE Foundation. (Society for Human Advancement through Rehabilitation Engineering). http://www.share.umassd.edu/
Dr. Les Cory is the founder and a really good guy, as well as extremely technical. He was one of my professors and advisors when I was in college. Phone numbers and email address are available on the website (I'll try to be nice and keep some of the spambots away by not posting that info here.) These folks are really good at doing cool technical things on a limited budget.
Depending on how many photos you're sending the simplest might be to simply print out the best ones at an online photo site and have them mailed directly to your dad.
This is assuming the staff there have the time and desire to show them to him and/or post his favorites on a peg board, or by his bed, or wherever he would want them.
First off, all of what I say requires training/money because frankly, the effort has to be there on the half of the disabled regardless. If he doesn't care to learn how to use a computer, ignore this post. Is he able to get any sort of financial assistance in the way of grants etc? You might want to check out this overprice monitor.
I got to testdrive one of their monitors at a London convention that follows your pupils regardless of head movement and it's nothing short of amazing (including the £12000 price tag).
You have to be able to press a switch/button to prevent eye pauses from initiating a mouseclick.
Otherwise, look into a clickity-clack keyboard. I'm over in the UK (and work at a special needs school) and we use Inclusive Technology quite a bit.
There are other options around as well, maybe a Stephen-Hawking style pc from Sensory Software. Expect that to come with a £6000 pricetag though.
The amount of money that gets charged for special needs is horrendous... $150 for a keyboard that lets u plug in a switch for an enter key...
Truth is realized, not told...
I don't know about automatic download... you might have some hacker who puts up a picture of the goatse.cx man (BTW, warning for anyone who still doesn't knwo who the goatse.cx man is, it's sick). That would certainly scar your disabled parent for life, esp. if he weren't able to turn it off.
The reason I suggested this option, is for low-maintenance, all that is required is to switch on the computer. The operating system is read-only so can not be changed - nothing to break. The homepage of firefox can be perminatly set to your website.
You can then set up your website remotely, have each webste automatically progres to the next page.
If internet connection is not possible, you can add wepages locally to the cd set the homepage to the local index and mail and new cd everytime.
Hope this helps.