[OT] -- Voice for Stroke Victims

(communicator for paraplegics)

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Reply to
Homer J Simpson
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So I suppose now you're going to need help building a cattle prod? ;-)

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Paul Hovnanian     mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com
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Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

What about something roughly along the lines of the communicator that Dr Hawking uses.

Reply to
Robert Baer

Tim, I know they make these, as I have seen large numbers of them in various assistive technology conventions I have attended. They usually are built along the lines of a small to medium sized board, with some words as single buttons, and then a keyboard to enter less often used words. They are used both by stroke and ALS/MD victims to enable speech when the brain or vocal cords are no longer cooperating. Unfortunately, my check on my two favorite websites didn't turn up anything... :-(

Charlie

Reply to
Charlie Edmondson

I don't know much about PDAs because I don't have one. But aren't there versions with built-in speakers? I remember sitting on an airplane once and a dude showed off his new PDA by playing some rock music so loud that you could hear it half way across the cabin.

Now if the screen would be able work in a touch-screen fashion instead of stylus-only then all it would need is a small application that translates stored words or even whole sentences into voice. Even if it isn't touch-screen the 6-8 buttons at the bottom of these PDAs might suffice to select from menus, cell phone style.

Cell phones: While waiting at LAX there was an older gentleman, obviously seeing impaired because he had a guide dog with him. He spoke commands into his cell phone. Then a while later it responded via its speaker with some kind of info he must have requested. I did not want to eaves-drop so I don't know what kind of information. It probably auto-dialed out to retrieve that. So it should at least technically be possible to store words and sentences. Even my little low-end Nokia has

2MB of usable RAM, AFAIK.
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Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply to
Joerg

Tim, I know you are not in Australia but here in Sydney there is a very well equipped Assistive Technology outfit that has these things in various complexity available to try so I am sure there are similar places in the bigger cities around the world and the Physio therapist should be able to find the contacts.

I work for a volunteer group called Technical Aid for the Disabled. We make things, wooden brackets to electronic devices that are not available commercially but if you came to us with your problem we would refer you to the Northcott Centre who have commercial devices for this problem.

-- John G.

Reply to
John G

I built one when i was around 12 years old: A pair of DS503 T0-3 Germanium power transistors, a vibrator transformer from a junk car radio, parts from a defective solid state vibrator, and a six volt lantern battery. It would light a 15 Watt 120 Volt light bulb. It got rid of the bully problem, in a hurry! ;-)

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Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

I've just bought an HP iPaq 1950 which has a pretty capable loudspeaker and the touch screen will work happily without a stylus. I would think it would be a relatively trivial task for someone with appropriate skills to knock up a quick application to link a large touch button to a sound. The iPaq even has a speech recorder on it so you could record your own sounds. It cost me GBP185 from Amazon which I thought was pretty reasonable.

For some time many phones have had voice dialling but I've only used it once or twice because if I want to call "Mum" then I could end up with "Home", "Bob" or "Dom."

Reply to
Tom Lucas

I never wanted help _building_ one -- that I have no problem with.

And I already know how to find the local feed store, thank you.

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Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
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Tim Wescott

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