THE PROMISE OF ASSISTIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Tom Nabarro BEng (hons) MIET

16th October 2014

INTRODUCTION

Assistive technology (AT) refers to any device that enables us to interact with our environment

The technologies I have tried

How I have made my choices

My experiences

What technologies might shape the future?

THE TECHNOLOGIES I HAVE TRIED

Voice recognition Dragon Naturally Speaking Windows Speech Recognition

Touchscreen devices (pointing aids) Smart phones and tablets

Pointing devices Gaze – tobii, “the eye tribe” Head - smartnav, kinect Mouth – integramouse

For more information contact Andrew @ Aspire

HOW I HAVE MADE MY CHOICES I recommend selecting and tailoring the

technologies to suit the environment and lifestyle when addressing the user’s needs:

"Successful technology arrangements were often characterised by bricolage - pragmatic customisation in which new devices or components were adapted and/or combined with legacy ones ... to ‘fiddle’ with other technologies ... to adapt the home environment to their (often changing) needs“

‘What matters to older people with assisted living needs? A phenomenological analysis of the use and non-use of telehealth and telecare’ - Trisha Greenhalgh et al. - http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/56407/

CHOICE: GENERIC OR SPECIFIC?Assistive technology (AT) can help us interact with our environment through many kinds of electronic device

AT doesn’t have to be designed specifically for people with disabilities

Examples include voice recognition and home automation technology

Economies of scale - cost

Community support - reliability

Supplier competition – choice

Benefits of using

generic technology?

Different interfaces for specific function and/or environment

Focus on reliability and portability Fit technology to lifestyle not the other way around

MY EXPERIENCES

Possum through bed head switch

MagicDrive through

wheelchair head array

Computer through voice

recognition

Computer through

EyeGaze

iPad through mouth stick

iPad through wheelchair head array

AT Interfaces

USING “AT” @ HOME

USING “AT” ON-THE-GO

My main computer input device at work is “Dragon”

VOICE RECOGNITION @ WORK

As standard enables browsing and Microsoft

applications

enhance functionality can add features using

scripting languages

VR toolchain can create library of simple and

complex commands for our specific needs

Simple commands trigger keyboard sequences –

complex commands trigger other software

I benefit enormously from software created by “VoiceCoders”

iPhone control demo (quick and dirty)

Improvement in voice recognition accuracy and support for control

Eye-gaze technologies, integrated into mobile devices, are on the way

Head pointer and sip-puff technologies can be used for fine cursor control

Voice recognition found to be the most portable and flexible solution

Accuracy of eye-gaze improved: now a functional part of workflow

Voice and gaze control to become widespread and lower cost

Interesting developments in human computer interfaces

ASSISTIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYInnovations

that have helped me

My Experience

My Predictions

WHAT TECHNOLOGIES MIGHT SHAPE THE FUTURE

Biological sensors

Brain computer interfaces

Wearable computing

Gesture driven control

Internet of everything

SIA for inviting me to talk You all for listening Open-source software enthusiasts for creating free tools

Blog: www.TomNabarro.com Twitter: @tomnabarro E-mail: whizz2000@hotmail.com

THANK YOU

THIS PRESENTATION WAS WRITTEN WITH VOICE RECOGNITION SOFTWARE

THANK YOU ALL

www.aspire.org.uk/product-information.aspx

The aspire charity has lots of useful information regarding accessible technology including reviews and recommendations as well as extensive product lists. Charities Regain sports charity and aspire can give grants for assistance technology products.

www.eastin.eu

European Assistive Technology Information Network- case studies, papers etc. (some papers may need translating)

www.spinal.co.uk/page/tom-nabarro

Summary of becoming employed after injury

www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/with-wearable-technology-a-new-measure-of-independence-for-some-with-disabilities/2013/08/06/e258757e-fde4-11e2-96a8-d3b921c0924a_story.html

www.tomnabarro.com/?p=266

Article on my use of assistive technology

http://www.onelist.com/community/VoiceCoder

Mailing list dedicated to the subject of programming using voice recognition software.

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