Archive for the ‘Design’ Category

Mobile Phone Physicality and Inverse Feedback for Input

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Thought: Feedback can be turned to alternative input if inverted. Fabian Hemmert does research through and about design and creates projects like shape-changing-mobiles, weight-shifting-mobiles, breathing and pulsating ambient-life mobile device feedback. The mobile concepts are designed to provide different feedback mechanisms that are physical. I've often written about the importance of feedback when ...

Resistive Multitouch Touchscreen tech

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Touchco was a New York company that, according to it's now closed website title, was developing "IFSR* multi-touch resistive sensors".  It has now reportedly ben bought by Amazon. The impressive thing about this technology is this. "Unlike the more common and more expensive capacitive touchscreens, Touchco-equipped screens can be used with a ...

A True Hands Free Bluetooth Headset

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Meet Darrell Earlier in the year I was contacted by Darrell. Darrell may not realise it, but he is a Lifekludger. Darrell has a son. His son lives with a disability. His son's disability prevented him from using a mobile phone. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="earpiece"][/caption]Unable to press a button to activate 'hands ...

Pressure Sensitive Multitouch pads to come

Monday, August 31st, 2009

An article in Technology Review reveals development of pressure sensitive touch pads that could be used on future generation devices. Why is this Lifekludger newsworthy? Because the pads are reported to combine features of both kinds of existing touch pads. To me, this might mean some breaking down of the Touch ...

Lifekludger Color Palettes

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Wow. Vanity search turned up this neat link that took one of the photos off my Lifekludger blog and generated a colour palette from it. I like it. [Lifekludger Color Palettes] http://www.colorhunter.com Related posts:Colour-coded Keyboard & Mouse Lifekludger Interview Lifekludger Wiki

Open-Source Hardware for Prosthetics

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Scientific American has an article about the Open Prosthetics Project. The Open Prosthetics Project has applied the “open source” model to the design of inexpensive prosthetic hands and arms that a small demand can still support. The designs are free for anyone to use. This is an exiting project to me as it's an ...

Ergodex customisable input system now for Mac

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

  [caption id="attachment_377" align="alignleft" width="194" caption="ergodex customisable input device"][/caption] When I heard about this Ergodex customisable keyboard on a podcast I immediately thought it would have uses in Assistive Technology circles and yes, they do already have information on such application of the device. As it happens, this device has been around a ...

GM and Segway new balancing two-wheeler transport project

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

My ex-boss, when talking about the language of disability, always used to tell people that "wheelchair bound" should refer to those who do not use a wheelchair, as they're potentially headed there and we've already arrived! Well, now take a look at this experimental vehicle from Segway. See, he was right! The ...

Siftables, the smart blocks | Augmented Communication Possibilities?

Monday, February 16th, 2009

A new way of thinking about alternative input and physical interaction. Possibilities for alternative and augmented communication. [David Merrill demos Siftables, the smart blocks | Video on TED.com] Related posts:iMainGo iPod Speakers for AAC Puff – Blow Concept for phone interaction. Writing sentences with a red ball

Phone designed for the Blind shows importance of feedback

Monday, October 20th, 2008

SENS concept phone. by Japanese designer, Takumi Yoshida I've written previously about the importance of the correct type of feedback for input, especially when one or more of your senses fail you. This SENS phone uses a combination of tactile sensors and audio feedback to the user. When a person key is pressed ...

Bicycle Design for People with Disabilities | Future Technology

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

Great to see some good asthetic thought as well as pure functionality put into accessible design in this bicycle. From the Tuvie site: Bicycle designer Gavin Smith has come up with a new bicycle design that will help people with disabilities to ride the bicycle independently. Sometimes disabilities like cerebral palsy can ...

Working Touch Screen Netbook running Mac OSX

Monday, October 13th, 2008

Now folks we are talking about something I want and would actually be able to use. Compact, Mac OSX and a Resistive touch screen allowing me to control the cursor as I couldn't o this device and can't with the current track pads all Macs have. I couldn't find out who ...