10 replies to this topic

[michelevit]

First let me say it is good to find this forum. I am a close friend to someone who has limited use of her
arms. She is unable to use her fingers, but is able to clench a fist.

I am hoping to build a computer so she will be able to type out emails and .
I have seen mouse controlled on screen keyboards and am afraid
that the manipulating a mouse might be too much effort.
I'm a hobbyist woodworker and also a hobbyist computer builder.

This is what I came up with.
It is a simple 10 button keyboard that uses autocomplete/predictive text technology commonly found in modern smart phones.
The program is called DynamicKeyboard 2.

It is meant to be used with a mouse or touchscreen, but i created a simple keyboard.
The buttons are placed in similar location and also are color matched.

The program can be used to enter text, numbers and punctuation in any program (notepad, word, gmail, forums)

I built the prototype using common buttons and off the shelf electronics. It hooks up to a computer via a usb cable.
Pressing the button simulates a mouse move and press to the appropriate button on the computer.
The program also speaks the letters and words as they are entered.
It is designed as a montor/laptop stand as well. The laptop I am using is an older Pentium 4 running Windoze XPPro.

Any comments, suggestions and questions are greatly appreciated.
I tested it myself and found that I was able to quickly master it. The predictive
text made it much quicker than other on screen keyboard solutions I have seen.
What I built is a working prototype which I hope to refine and improve based on outside imput.

I have a video created which I will share once I get it uploaded to Youtube.

Thanks again for this great forum. I hope to learn a great deal from lurking and share the information with others in her life.

MVitarelli.
I have created a photogallery to document the build process.
Here are some pics...
http://www.westcoast.....s/ck renders/pics of my keyboard

Attached Thumbnails

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Edited by michelevit, 29 December 2009 - 08:14 PM.

[michelevit]

I was able to upload the video so you can see what I built. Remember this is just
a working prototype. Any advice, comments, suggestions are greatly appreciated.

http://www.westcoast...btitles.flv.php

If you have sound, you can hear the program call out its letters and words as they are completed. Once a
sentance is completed It will speak the entire sentance.

I apologize about the low resolution.

Thanks again for providing this forum.

[Tetracyclone]

why not use voice to text program, Dragon 10 being the best by far?

[javaftper]

if the user is able to speak clearly etc i would strongly agree with using dragon 10 or macspeech with a good quality microphone.

however your keybo0ard could still be very useful to the person if they suffer from sore throats, colds etc. if i have a cold or a long day dictating i am sometimes unable to utilise dragon.

by the way windows 7 has a very good onscreen keyboard with predictive text and common word storage/priority.

//j

[Wheelsonfire]

I'm a tech......tried and tested dragon,,,not bad....recommend switching from windoze though.......Linux or get puppy linux....runs in memory 100mb or so, 1gb memory stick and you have your computer on the go.....slap it into any system, load into the BIOS to boot from USB and walla!!! great tool also for fixin Microsuk Windoze

http://shop.nuance.c...s=1262201490203

[michelevit]

Unfortunately my friend has sustained head trauma so speech recognition is unfortunately not an option.

I have yet to play with Windows 7, but its predective text will motivate me from looking into it.

Thanks for the comments and advice.

[Tetracyclone]

michelevit, on Dec 30 2009, 03:04 PM, said:

Unfortunately my friend has sustained head trauma so speech recognition is unfortunately not an option.

I have yet to play with Windows 7, but its predective text will motivate me from looking into it.

Thanks for the comments and advice.

Ahhh. Now we understand better.

[Steve G. - Engineer]

Whereabouts are you located? I'm a robotics engineer interested in applying the technology to assistive devices and I'd love to speak with you on where you see solutions technology can provide, but haven’t done so yet. Useing a mouse would be very helpful, can your friend move her head at all? Would something that translates head movements into mouse movements be useful?

Good luck on your computer.

[michelevit]

I'm in San Jose, Ca.
Would love to share this with anyone that can benefit from it.
My friend has head movement. She can probally grasp a mouse. I was thinking the
next iteration of the keyboard would have a trackball mouse or a joystick which controls
mouse movement. (or both)
Ideally I'd like to have my friend master this keyboard and then create a portable, smaller
chair mounted version. I'd really like to converse with her via email.
I've borrowed skills learned from building video arcade cabinets.

Where are you located?

Steve G. - Engineer, on Jan 4 2010, 05:46 PM, said:

Whereabouts are you located? I'm a robotics engineer interested in applying the technology to assistive devices and I'd love to speak with you on where you see solutions technology can provide, but haven’t done so yet. Useing a mouse would be very helpful, can your friend move her head at all? Would something that translates head movements into mouse movements be useful?

Good luck on your computer.

[Tremulous Tetra]

michelevit, on Jan 4 2010, 06:21 PM, said:

I'm in San Jose, Ca.
Would love to share this with anyone that can benefit from it.
My friend has head movement. She can probally grasp a mouse. I was thinking the
next iteration of the keyboard would have a trackball mouse or a joystick which controls
mouse movement. (or both)
Ideally I'd like to have my friend master this keyboard and then create a portable, smaller
chair mounted version. I'd really like to converse with her via email.
I've borrowed skills learned from building video arcade cabinets.

Where are you located?

Steve G. - Engineer, on Jan 4 2010, 05:46 PM, said:

Whereabouts are you located? I'm a robotics engineer interested in applying the technology to assistive devices and I'd love to speak with you on where you see solutions technology can provide, but haven’t done so yet. Useing a mouse would be very helpful, can your friend move her head at all? Would something that translates head movements into mouse movements be useful?

Good luck on your computer.

I know a guy who has some kind of censor on his glasses, which picks up on the computer, with which he controls a normal computer purely through head movement. Typing etc. No problem. Would you like more information?

[Steve G. - Engineer]

Tremulous Tetra, on Jan 6 2010, 11:30 AM, said:

michelevit, on Jan 4 2010, 06:21 PM, said:

I'm in San Jose, Ca.
Would love to share this with anyone that can benefit from it.
My friend has head movement. She can probally grasp a mouse. I was thinking the
next iteration of the keyboard would have a trackball mouse or a joystick which controls
mouse movement. (or both)
Ideally I'd like to have my friend master this keyboard and then create a portable, smaller
chair mounted version. I'd really like to converse with her via email.
I've borrowed skills learned from building video arcade cabinets.

Where are you located?

Steve G. - Engineer, on Jan 4 2010, 05:46 PM, said:

Whereabouts are you located? I'm a robotics engineer interested in applying the technology to assistive devices and I'd love to speak with you on where you see solutions technology can provide, but haven’t done so yet. Useing a mouse would be very helpful, can your friend move her head at all? Would something that translates head movements into mouse movements be useful?

Good luck on your computer.

I know a guy who has some kind of censor on his glasses, which picks up on the computer, with which he controls a normal computer purely through head movement. Typing etc. No problem. Would you like more information?

I'd be very interested in a head sensor. Is it a commercial product or a custom built one? Feel free to email me.

I'm based in Massachusetts but frequent Palo Alto once every few months.

Regarding your design: what about numbers? Also, you could play around with the software, placement of letters, etc. to reduce the number of clicks or the time to travel between buttons. For example, instead of hitting the red button in the middle to navigate to each set of letters, just hit a button several times (like a phone keypad). But instead of alphabetical, place the most commonly used letters first. (So e would only be 1 click, whereas z would be several). It might not make sense, but could be worth looking into.
How has your friend reacted to the prototype?

Edited by Steve G. - Engineer, 19 January 2010 - 08:50 PM.