What’s New In Assistive Technology
Plenty!
New Technologies (just a few) • Smart Phones – – – –
Cheap Portable Accessible Configurable
• Cloud Computing – How does that help people with disabilities?
• GPII/NPII – What the heck is that?
Smart Phones and Smart Devices
• Smart Phones – Windows Phone 7 – I Phone – Android Phones
• Configurable to Preferences and Abilities – Cognitive Configurability – Sensory Configurability
• Configurable – Fashionable • Not a clunky assistive device • “keeps me looking normal”
Configurability (Example)
• Mess Attendant Coach (in Development) – This App prompts a mess attendant with what to do next – It helps with decisions based on picture buttons • Decisions can be made with – voice descriptions – video instructions – Anything that can come out of a smart phone
– It keeps the context of • Time (dining hall schedule) • What has already been done or checked – And when the last check was performed
– Allows supervisor schedule change on the fly – It does not • Prompt for things outside the operators ability list
Accessibility in Smart Phone Commands
• Gestures – Gross motor movement • Swipe Backwards • Hold your Finger on the Screen • Swipe Down
• Buttons – Pictures and videos can be embedded in the button
• Shaking and Orientation – Shake it in an emergency – Turn it upside down to go back
• Voice – Requires a good internet connection (The Cloud)
Smart Phone Applications
• Same configurability is applicable to – Any independent work situation – Activities of daily living – Scheduling and context awareness
• This is just the beginning
Cloud Computing
• What is the Cloud? – It is the processing power of the servers that form the internet.
• Why does it matter? – Voice processing and other apps require more processing power and memory than your phone has. – The “Cloud” has the power to process almost anything quickly and accurately – Lets look at how this phone does voice recognition
• The cloud can also store your preferences and abilities – Lets look at NPII/GPII
GPII/NPII
• Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure – National Public Inclusive Infrastructure – Global/National Initiative – GPII is a project of Raising the Floor, a consortium of academic, industry, and non-governmental organizations and individuals • It is a well funded worldwide initiative
– A tag line of theirs is; • Building an on-demand, personalized, accessible, on-ramp to the Internet
The internet in a narrow sense
• Internet devices (like today’s computers) – Will recognize an approaching operator – Configure to their preferences • • • •
Talks to people with no sight On the fly translation for other languages Simplification of text for people who have difficulty understanding etc
The Internet in a Very Broad Sense
• Processing and connectivity is getting cheaper every day. – Most of the world is or is becoming connected • Cash machines • Stores • Service organizations
– Soon most appliances will be smart and connected • Even a toaster
– That connectivity gives any connected item the ability to configure itself to your preferences and or abilities
The Cash Machine Example
• A person walks up to a cash machine – The machine identifies them and reads their profile from the cloud. – Their profile says they cannot see, have limited range of motion and limited dexterity. – Id and verification in this case would also have to accessible, so perhaps the machine would use a unique physiological ID (facial recognition, fingerprints, earlobe scan etc.) – Or perhaps they could see but not read and a video prompt met their profile…. – No matter what the machine configures to present an understandable interface tailored to their preference and ability
The Toaster Example
• I approach the toaster and don’t really know how it works. • The toaster recognizes my voice, or face • I say a have a bagel • It knows my darkness preference and tells me to drop it in the top and wait until it pops out
What about Privacy
• It is a big issue • It is a big issue with many of the apps already out there – Many apps log your location, your preferences and multiple other aspects of your life
• Privacy will be dealt with over time
This is too much like Buck Rodgers
The technology is already out there. – Just not in a comprehensive package…yet. – Connectivity, the cloud and cloud processing are already much more pervasive in other countries • • • •
Indonesia Korea Japan Europe
NPII Learn More/ Get Involved
• http://npii.org/ • They are looking for volunteers
What is new in assistive technology
• Plenty more – This was just an overview with a taste of what is possible through new technologies • The end to geeky looking AT • The beginning of I have a cooler phone than you • The start of a ubiquitous inclusive infrastructure
• Continue the discussion or try some out – – – –
Paul Nishman pnishman@nish.org 206 272 3506 206 898 1931
• Thank You
Session Description Information
SESSION TITLE: Assistive SESSION CODE: INST-W300