Tablet PCs In Socially Relevant Projects Michael Buckley University of Buffalo

Here’s The Problem... We needed an experience for undergraduate projects teams that was Un-simulatedIntenseMeaningfulReflective

The Target Population Those who could benefit from the intelligence, creativity, hard work of students Those who could not command the technology themselves Those whose quality of life would benefit

The Tablet PC Reduced the cost of touch-activated control from $6,000 to $1000 Reduced the cost of programmable touch- activated control from $10,000 to $1000 Made touch activated control available to an army of students

Our Clients And Customers

Our First Client: ElderWood Senior Care At Oakwood, Williamsville, NY Motivation David, a 43-year old stroke patient who has been speech impaired for over 20 years Previously communicated using a letter board Commercial technology solutions were not adequate for David Result The UB Talker was developed for David by students VESID (Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities) has purchased a tablet PC for David David will be working with our research group as a consultant

UB Talker Goal – Give those people without the ability to speak, a voice Target Population – Handicapped/disabled who have limited motor skills and have difficulty with voice communication Phase I – Adult Talker Phase II – Child Talker Phase III – For the visually impaired, and for the severely handicapped (no motor skills)

UB Talker Allows for the creation of sentences, phrases and speeches that can be spoken with the push of a button Phrase and Word Completion – Based on frequency of use, last-used Content Prediction – Time and Context – Based on time of day, day of week, season Auto-Scan

An Alternative Design

UB Talker

The Center For Handicapped Children, Williamsville, NY Center Based Program CHC LEARNING CENTER provides educational and therapeutic programming for pre-school and school age children (infant to 21 years of age) who are medically frail and technologically dependent Home Based Program Certified special teachers and licensed therapists provide service in the home for infants and young children unable to attend the center based program Support Services Occupational, Speech and Language, and Physical Therapies are available to all students at CHC LEARNING CENTER Occupational, Speech and Language, and Physical Therapies are available to all students at CHC LEARNING CENTER Philosophy CHC LEARNING CENTER recognizes the need for support for the families of children with disabilities and the benefits to child and family when services are truly comprehensive and integrated

DISCO Interface multiple inputs (switches) to yield multiple outputs (lights and sound) through the use of a computer to create a cost-effective learning tool for disabled and handicapped students This tool accommodates a variety of needs beyond the hand and eye The use of lights, fog, music, video, etc. to create soothing and entertaining stimuli

DISCO Simple choice-making and the realization of cause-and-effect are a central goal of early education for the physically handicapped and developmentally delayed, especially children The relationship between physical action and ultimate effect is not necessarily natural The ability to select between alternatives of increasing number is part of a student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) from early-on

DISCO The mechanism used usually presents large colored switches which respond with different noises or spoken words: First a single switch Then two, then four Until sufficient cause-and-effect is established to graduate the student to a more powerful augmentative communications device such as a touch-screen talker

Hardware Setup

Interfacing Hardware To A Tablet PC From Measurement Computing

…To AC Power From StarMagic

…To Lights and Sound

Others Unrestricted internet navigation using a single switch (e.g., head switch) Motorized wheelchair controlled from a remote laptop (with cameras and safety sensors, etc.) to teach mobility

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