Can assistive technology save computing?

With just $60,000 in Microsoft grants (a pittance to Mr. Softee) he is inspiring a generation of new geeks to do Socially Relevant Computing.

He’s built an Assistive Technology Laboratory, but he admits many of the best ideas come from visits to the Center for Handicapped Children’s Learning Center in nearby Williamsville.

There his students meet vibrant, alive, but severely challenged kids who inspire them to great projects, such as:

* DISCO, which uses light, sound, and tactile stimulation to create a learning environment with positive feedback for the severely disabled.
* Firefighter Monitoring gear to keep track of a first responder’s vital signs while they are in danger.
* Remotely-controlled wheelchairs, controlled by caregivers, for people who can’t even use a joystick.
* BUTTON MAKER, a computing interface for the severely disabled aimed at enabling learning.
* VAPP, a videoconferencing system for the severely disabled aimed at distance learning.
* People Tracker, a Zigbee network which does passive monitoring of people in nursing homes to make sure they stay safe.
* Nexus, a home controller with a visual programming language to help disabled people control their environment.

Read it all here.

Published on May 10, 2008

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