ALS Communication Device Survey

[buelowbt]

Greetings. I am a senior at the University of Cincinnati studying Mechanical Engineering Technology. The purpose of my senior design project is to create a communications device for late-stage ALS patients that will enable direct communication between the patient and caregiver. The project limits the ALS patient to eye-movement only.

Part of my project requires a customer survey aimed towards potential customers of such a device. The survey can be taken by clicking on this link. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2f3JRVBtOT54gzC_2fXWeWb5g_3d_3d


I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd take this survey. Thank you for your time in advance. :smile:

 

[CindyM]

Good luck with your project. I did not complete the survey, as I am not a person with ALS. I think it is good of you to keep our PALS in mind when designing new devices.

 

[BethU]

I'll take your survey ... but want to ask a favor in return. I know this isn't your field, but I bet you or some of your friends could figure this out.

My speech is gone. I can only say a few consonants and a couple vowels. What I would like some brilliant engineering student to invent is a speech translation device in which I could mumble and grunt my "language" into a light, portable mic and it would translate my sounds into proper English, and speak them for me. There would be a slight delay, as there is with any translation, but not nearly as much delay as trying to carry on a conversation with one person speaking and one person typing or writing a reply.

There is already voice recognition software, and translation software. If I recorded my "speech" along with typed translations into a computer program, why couldn't that computer then recognize that when I say "unsh" this means "lunch" and speak it correctly for me?

This seems to me to be a fairly straight-forward computer task. Invent this, and you'll be a million, sorry, a thousandaire. And you'll have the thanks of a grateful nation. Or, at least, of me.

P.S. Your survey wasn't very realistic. You have $1,000 as the maximum price. My DynaVox was over $8,000, and to upgrade it to eye-gaze response is going to be another $8,000 I understand. But price doesn't matter, because ALS patients usually get these things for free through MDA,

 

[brooksgolf7]

Good luck with your project. I will complete the survey, as I am currently testing a communication device that allows you to use your computer via eye movement and ekg.

 

[sharonca]

check out www.ablenetinc.com/Default.aspx?tabid=361

 

[hopeandlove]

It would also be nice to create a portable commuincation device

Something like a cell phone only better. Some people lose their voice, but are still mobile. Good luck with your project. But if someone else is looking for a senior project pass this on. Honestly with all the wonderful technology we have today- I'm quite surprised there are not more viable options- like portable devices that actually work.