Morse Code as an Enabling Technology Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell Comp 190, Gary Bishop 22 April 2003

What did we do? Sharp Zaurus PDA with Morse code input and Text-to-Speech (TTS) Feedback Sharp Zaurus PDA with Morse code input and Text-to-Speech (TTS) Feedback Explored ideas for making mobile devices universally accessible Explored ideas for making mobile devices universally accessible

What is the purpose? Electronic notepad that is relatively inexpensive, very portable, and enabled for a variety of users, while still functional for all Electronic notepad that is relatively inexpensive, very portable, and enabled for a variety of users, while still functional for all To demonstrate the feasibility of adapting PDAs/embedded systems for blind or physically disabled users To demonstrate the feasibility of adapting PDAs/embedded systems for blind or physically disabled users

Recap - What is Morse Code? Invented in 1800s – a binary code of dits and dahs is used to convey information quickly, often over large distances Invented in 1800s – a binary code of dits and dahs is used to convey information quickly, often over large distances Advantages for ET Advantages for ET Flexible Flexible Simple and inexpensive Simple and inexpensive Rapid text entry ( ≤ 30 wpm) Rapid text entry ( ≤ 30 wpm) Enables many users who otherwise could not communicate with computers Enables many users who otherwise could not communicate with computers

What were the problems with existing solutions? Expensive (~500) Expensive (~500) Hardware dependent - desktop/PCMCIA support required Hardware dependent - desktop/PCMCIA support required Not very portable Not very portable Each application is very specialized Each application is very specialized

Improvements by our Product Serves a need for blind/disabled/all users Serves a need for blind/disabled/all users Helpful for communication Helpful for communication ALS, MS, or the speech impaired ALS, MS, or the speech impaired Low requirements for physical ability (ALS) Low requirements for physical ability (ALS) Mobile w/long battery life Mobile w/long battery life Cost Effective Cost Effective Reduces the hardware requirement Reduces the hardware requirement Standard serial (9-pin/USB) support Standard serial (9-pin/USB) support

Why the Zaurus SL-5500? Linux! Linux! Relatively inexpensive (~$200) Relatively inexpensive (~$200) Stereo output / microphone input Stereo output / microphone input Bluetooth wireless-capable Bluetooth wireless-capable Standard serial interfaces (RS232 & USB) Standard serial interfaces (RS232 & USB) Standard removable flash memory Standard removable flash memory Built-in text completion Built-in text completion

Incremental Design Approach 1. Construct a functional Morse-to-Speech application in Python (pyMTS) on a desktop system 2. Research TTS options for PDAs, and install a usable system on our platform of choice 3. Port the pyMTS application to a PDA Platform 4. Hardware Improvements: add a custom serial or wireless input device 5. Software Improvements: an accessible OS for PDAs? Additional software tools for M.C. Education?

Details of the Design Flite TTS library (optimized version of the open source TTS Festival) Flite TTS library (optimized version of the open source TTS Festival) ongoing project at Carnegie-Mellon ongoing project at Carnegie-Mellon lightweight version of the open source TTS Festival lightweight version of the open source TTS Festival coded in C for speed coded in C for speed Python Python Zaurus-optimized version Zaurus-optimized version PyQT windowing library PyQT windowing library

Deliverables pyMTS pyMTS ROM image with all software installed? ROM image with all software installed?

Ideas for Improvement Adding Serial Interface layer for attaching hardware Adding Serial Interface layer for attaching hardware Wireless Bluetooth cable-replacement solution (~$50) Wireless Bluetooth cable-replacement solution (~$50)

What are the next steps? Extend hardware support to serial interface. Example - wireless bluetooth input Extend hardware support to serial interface. Example - wireless bluetooth input Insert Morse as an optional kernel module into the OS Insert Morse as an optional kernel module into the OS Design a full TTS/Morse environment for a PDA (Mobile JAWS/MorseShell?) Design a full TTS/Morse environment for a PDA (Mobile JAWS/MorseShell?) Design tools to encourage users to learn Morse code Design tools to encourage users to learn Morse code

Conclusion With minimal investment we were able to develop an application that with further development could serve a important role for a great variety of users, regardless of ability. With (a whole lot) more testing and development, and building upon some of our basic ideas, it should be possible to create a fully speech enabled PDA with flexible input. With minimal investment we were able to develop an application that with further development could serve a important role for a great variety of users, regardless of ability. With (a whole lot) more testing and development, and building upon some of our basic ideas, it should be possible to create a fully speech enabled PDA with flexible input.