1. Morse Code and Enabling Technology
Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

2. UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell
What is Morse Code?
Invented in 1800s as a method for long-distance communication
Ideal for electrical communication, due to its binary nature
Represents the letters of the alphabet as electric pulses
Composed of dits (.) and dahs (-)
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

3. UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

4. UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell
Advantages
Surprisingly rapid entry of text
Ease of use / low cost
Low need for physical ability
Versatility
Portability
Unobtrusiveness
Can aid in literacy skills
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

5. UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell
Example Applications
Puff-sip
Opposing motion
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

6. UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell
Disadvantages
Low awareness  teaching not emphasized
Difficult to learn
High initial error entry rate
User discouragement
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

7. UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell
DARCI Card ($495)
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

8. Current State of Morse Code as an Enabling Technology
Extensive generic hardware support (DARCI)
Numerous software products available for desktop computers
Valuable resource for persons with severe disabilities
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

9. How can we extend this technology?
Pursue applications of Morse Code input for PDAs / embedded systems
Allow universal accessibility
Enable visually impaired with text-to-speech feedback
Enable physically impaired with simple and portable input options
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

10. UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell
Further Benefits
Universal design will increase functionality for all users
Examples:
Mobile Input (replace PDA stylus with Bluetooth device?)
Replace/augment screen output with audio feedback
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

11. Incremental Design Approach
Construct a functional Morse-to-Speech application in Python (pyMTS)
Keyboard/Mouse input
Port this application to the Windows CE platform (and/or Palm?)
Cordless mouse for PDA morse input (Bluetooth?)
Morse education: design a game to teach Morse code (Morse Invaders?)
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

12. UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell
Progress so far…
Functional program that decodes morse code as input and outputs
text to a display field
audio feedback after each letter, using a TTS engine and MSSAPI – also reads each completed word and sentence
Focus is on universal accessibility
Demo!
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell

13. UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell
Credit
Modern Morse Code in Rehabilitation and Education: New Applications in Assistive Technology by Tomas Wayne
UNC-CS Enabling Technology Course, Jeremy Cribb and Doug Daniell