Not sure how effective or durable this stylus would be, but I love Mosspuppet and he does offer a little interesting commentary on ‘conductive foam’ availability – something other DIY stylus, like these here, here and here use. I suppose protein bar and other foil type wrappers are yet another alternative in our ‘Touch Barrier”ContinueContinue reading “Mosspuppet makes a stylus – Shuddup!”
Category Archives: Input
Emotiv EPOC Headset Hacked
Back in 2008 on this blog I reported on Emotiv epoc headset development and flagged its potential for thought control input. A few days ago H+ magazine blog featured an interview with Cody Brocious Cody Brocious has created Cody’s Emokit project, an open source library for reading data directly from the Emotiv EPOC EEG headset.ContinueContinue reading “Emotiv EPOC Headset Hacked”
Comparing iPads, Netbooks for AAC Use | ATMac
Ricky Buchanan from ATMac has some interesting thoughts and good links on Comparing iPads, Netbooks, and Auggies for AAC Use, after an RJ Cooper comparison on the topic. on | ATMac [Source]
Robotic Exoskeleton
Rex Bionics exoskeleton [via Roy]
Clutch Pencil adapted as Touch Screen Stylus
Over on his Artworks blog Crabfu has this excellent how-to video on making a touch screen capable stylus from a clutch pencil and conductive foam. This is one of the best ideas I’ve seen, using a readily available item in the clutch pencil. My thoughts in using it with your mouth are that if youContinueContinue reading “Clutch Pencil adapted as Touch Screen Stylus”
Conductive Touch Capable Mouthstick from a Japanese “Liver” (Reader)
A couple weeks ago I received a tweet from @yukitake99 that he found Lifekludger blog helpful and he was going to try make a mouthstick for iPhone. Seems he’d been looking at some of the stuff I’d been sharing about the “Touch Barrier” and ways to work around it. It’s always a buzz to makeContinueContinue reading “Conductive Touch Capable Mouthstick from a Japanese “Liver” (Reader)”
Camera Mouse
Developed by researchers at Boston College and Boston University, Camera Mouse is a free program that enables you to control the mouse pointer on your computer screen just by moving your head. Camera Mouse requires Windows 7, Vista, or XP and a webcam. Some useful applications and utilities are available from the Downloads section.
Keyboard Navigation extension for Chrome
Came across an interesting, potentially useful tip on a extension for the Chrome web browser called “Keyboard Navigation”, on the excellent blog makeuseof.com. From the blog: The extension defines a hot key (,) which places a hint next to every link on the page that can be clicked. While the hint is displayed, key inContinueContinue reading “Keyboard Navigation extension for Chrome”
DIY Touchscreen Stylus using Conductive foam
Finally, a Stylus kludge that actually looks workable as it can be made different lengths and is cheap and easy. Now, I just need to get hold of some of that conductive foam so I can get someone to make me up a mouthstick version. If anyone has some foam you can post to me,ContinueContinue reading “DIY Touchscreen Stylus using Conductive foam”
Dagi Transparent Stylus for Capacitive Touch Screens
Isn’t it interesting how we are seeing more and more uses where there’s a need for a stylus on these capacitive touch screens? Just when everyone thinks Steve Jobs has liberated them to the freedom of the finger, it seems we aren’t so free after all and that maybe other forms of pointing can beContinueContinue reading “Dagi Transparent Stylus for Capacitive Touch Screens”
Soft Sock Stylus for Touch screens
Over on Instructables is how to make a stylus out of anti-static socks for use on capacitive type touch screen devices – ala iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad etc. The stylus was the creation of dsLabs. Looks neat, but not sure I’d want to put this sock stylus in my mouth for use as a Mouthstick!ContinueContinue reading “Soft Sock Stylus for Touch screens”
Magnets the TouchBarrier solution for capacitive screens?
Looking at this post re HTC and stylus patents, I'm going to start looking at a kludge for my mouthsticks using magnets. HTC has a solution ready for the market. They have patented an ordinary stylus but with a twist. The stylus has a magnetic head, and due to the current induced by its movementContinueContinue reading “Magnets the TouchBarrier solution for capacitive screens?”
One problem with Stylus for Capacitive Touch Screens
iPhone Hacks blog has the low down on the problems of styluses on capacitive touch screens in a post titled New Apple Patent Talks about Stylus for Capacitive Touch Screens. The relevant bit: According to the inventors, modern day capacitive touch sensors are not optimized to receive inputs from styluses. This is because, unlike aContinueContinue reading “One problem with Stylus for Capacitive Touch Screens”
Whamberry Handsized Keyboard/Trackpad
The Whamberry is great mini keyboard/input pad that connects to your computer simply with a USB plug-in dongle. It is wireless and can be used more than 30 feet (10m) away from your computer. You can control the cursor using the touch-pad that is built-in or type with the full keyboard. The size of theContinueContinue reading “Whamberry Handsized Keyboard/Trackpad”
Mouse as a glove
Mouse parts mounted on a glove. This is interesting as alternate input is can’t grasp a mouse. You only need to place your hand on any surface and start mousing. [via hackaday]
Alternative Input Possibilities – Acoustic skin
There’s always going to be different options required for alternative input devices according to differing abilities. So it’s great to see the research and experimentation going on around this area, mostly driven I suspect by the need for different control of mobile technologies. Here’s one using acoustics of taps on the body. [via: Make -ContinueContinue reading “Alternative Input Possibilities – Acoustic skin”
Mobile Phone Physicality and Inverse Feedback for Input
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 operating all mannerContinueContinue reading “Mobile Phone Physicality and Inverse Feedback for Input”
Resistive Multitouch Touchscreen tech
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 stylus as easilyContinueContinue reading “Resistive Multitouch Touchscreen tech”
iTouch iStick iKludge
Last year I captured this video, and has been on my youtube channel, yet seems I never posted it here. iTouch iStick iKludge From: lifekludger | August 10, 2009 The iTouch/iPhone needs skin so it doesn’t work with my mouthstick. In this video I show use by running copper wire down the stick from mouth.ContinueContinue reading “iTouch iStick iKludge”
Blow scrolling
Wired Gadget Lab has the full report on a breath-enabled interface recently shown at CES. To scroll blow steadily. To click, blow a forceful puff. Using ‘suck, puff, blow’ switches is nothing new in the area of Assistive Technology but seeing them developed as alternative options for ‘mainstream’ Joe Public is. Wired thinks that “TheContinueContinue reading “Blow scrolling”
The future of brain-controlled devices – CNN.com
CNN report on the future of brain controlled devices. In part : “Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) come in two varieties. Noninvasive techniques use electrodes placed on the scalp to measure electrical activity. Invasive procedures implant electrodes directly into the brain. In both cases, the devices interact with a computer to produce a wide variety of applications,ContinueContinue reading “The future of brain-controlled devices – CNN.com”
Etre Touchy – Gloves for your iPhone etc
Call me a heretic, but surely there’s got to be something inherently awry (not to say anything about accessibility) with a device that has to have specialised, modified clothing for humans to use it! Just sayin. [Etre Touchy – Gloves for your iPhone, iPod Touch, Nintendo DS, Blackberry, PDA and more…] —
Voice Controlled Alarm Clock
[Link: Moshi Alarm Clocks: Speak to your Moshi Alarm Clock and it speaks back] Moshi Alarm Clocks are sleekly designed clocks with voice recognition technology. The Moshi Alarm Clock is fully voice interactive and can be operated without ever even seeing the clock. Speak to your Moshi in plain English and it will speak backContinueContinue reading “Voice Controlled Alarm Clock”
ThinkPad keyboard with TrackPoint
Combining pointing devices with keyboards is great for those with limited reach / movement and mouth stick users. ThinkPad keyboards are fantastic. To have em as a desktop kb would be great. [New ThinkPad keyboard features crowdsourced design, lower price]
Do RIM’s optical trackpads offer Accessible Alternative to “Skin” Touch?
It seems RIM’s ‘optical pad’ technology could offer hope for the “touch barrier” that exists with the requirement for skin to touch the capacitive type pads that dominate todays gadgets. Thinking about how your phone’s touchscreen operates, you might assume that the so-called optical pads that have been making appearances on recent BlackBerrys (among otherContinueContinue reading “Do RIM’s optical trackpads offer Accessible Alternative to “Skin” Touch?”
