Category Archives: lifekludger

El-E – a laser guided “companion” Robot

El-E is a robot controlled by laser pointer. Here’s a video via healthcare-robotics : http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=777847&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1 El-E the Robot from Cressel Anderson on Vimeo. Maybe I could use this to pickup my MouthStick when I drop it. But how’d I press the button on the laser pointer? Hmmm…a real “companion” would notice I’d dropped it andContinueContinue reading “El-E – a laser guided “companion” Robot”

Ray Ozzie knows about Mouthsticks … do you?

Wired recently ran an article about Microsoft CEO Ray Ozzie. One incident in particular introduced Ozzie to the magic that comes when people connect via computer. He had taken a part-time assignment helping a professor finish writing some courseware. The prof lived on the other side of town, so Ozzie collaborated with him remotely. OzzieContinueContinue reading “Ray Ozzie knows about Mouthsticks … do you?”

Lifekludger Project 001 – Goal reached, underway.

What a great response to the first Lifekludger Project fundraising. I’m glad tosay thegoal was reached and Fundable has paid the pledged amount (less it’s 10% fee, of course) I’ve started a spreadsheet where the funds for project will be tracked and it’s viewable from theLifekludger blog (or right here). The item has been orderedContinueContinue reading “Lifekludger Project 001 – Goal reached, underway.”

ASUS Eee Top launched – clever, appropriate use of Touch

ASUS are the smart cookies. They virtually started the consumer Netbook phenomenon with the affordable, linux based, eee pc. Now they release a stylish, all-in-one device with a Touch screen that’s based on XP obviously targeted at friendly family use at, hopefully, a competitive price – the ASUS Top. The screen must be resistive typeContinueContinue reading “ASUS Eee Top launched – clever, appropriate use of Touch”

Lifekludger Project 001 – Pilot Pledge

Lifekludger has the desire to connect people together around a project to solve a problem. For the long term it’s desirable that  the number projects are scalable as well as the funding for them.  Coming from that thinking I’m running a kind of Pilot project to see if there’s a way that projects can be funded using the site “fundable.com”.ContinueContinue reading “Lifekludger Project 001 – Pilot Pledge”

Revisiting touch on the OLPC XO laptop and hardware access design

“Accessibility is about accommodating characteristics a person cannot change by providing options” — Joe Clarke, 2001 * An outline * some ideas in olpc first look was promising * accessibility and usability are hardware issues too * accessibility should venture out of the online space into hardware design Last year I had a first lookContinueContinue reading “Revisiting touch on the OLPC XO laptop and hardware access design”

Phone designed for the Blind shows importance of feedback

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 the phoneContinueContinue reading “Phone designed for the Blind shows importance of feedback”

Bicycle Design for People with Disabilities | Future Technology

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 affect the basicContinueContinue reading “Bicycle Design for People with Disabilities | Future Technology”

Working Touch Screen Netbook running Mac OSX

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 did this, but ifContinueContinue reading “Working Touch Screen Netbook running Mac OSX”

The Touch Barrier – Stylus enquiries continue

I received an email from a reader, Scott Sands, around the touch barrier issues I’ve been writing about here and here on the blog. Scott graciously agreed for me to put his email here for my response so all might benefit from the issues discussed. Scott outlines how he uses his computer and his issuesContinueContinue reading “The Touch Barrier – Stylus enquiries continue”

iPhone app to monitor your Heart

Interesting app detailed in this video that monitors your heart rate with nothing more than your iPhone and an app. Now, imagine combining this with an sms alert function to notify a chosen number of a care provider. Gets interesting. Now that’s consumer convergence with utility. http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1791560&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1 iPhone App – Heart Monitor from John BallingerContinueContinue reading “iPhone app to monitor your Heart”

Lifekludger does ARATA08 Conference

‘Assistive Technology – creating value through participation’ conference by Australian Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Association (ARATA) at the convention centre in Adelaide, South Australia. I was  encouraged by Hugh Stewart, from the School of Occpational Therapy at UNISA to present a paper on what I’ve been doing online and around social media with AT -ContinueContinue reading “Lifekludger does ARATA08 Conference”

NuTouch iPod case – ‘touch through’

Thought : If this iPhone plastic case allows touch to go ‘through’ it, I wonder if it could help with my ‘touch barrier’ – if it has some special properties. From the Fommy site: Introducing the NuTouch Case, a breakthrough product offering full navigational control of your iphone’s touch screen through a crystal hard case!ContinueContinue reading “NuTouch iPod case – ‘touch through’”

Jitterbug – Mobile phones simplified

Jitterbug – Mobile phones with simplified interfaces and operator monitored Services. Model with just 3 buttons too. Would just like to see a non-flip style for ease of use for those with not so dexterous hands. I suspect the flip style is to protect the keypad. This is a killer idea with a untapped, growingContinueContinue reading “Jitterbug – Mobile phones simplified”

Door lock operated by Internet or mobile phone.

Set to launch in October : A door lock that can be activated by mobile phone and over the internet. Can also notify via phone when someone enters. I could use this as I can use my mobile but not open my door without assistance of a keypad. This has huge potential in the communityContinueContinue reading “Door lock operated by Internet or mobile phone.”

New iPod and the Importance of Input Feedback

Being the geek I am, as well as the sleeper I am, I found myself following the Apple ‘Let’s Rock’ event at 2.30am. One interesting thought about the new stuff that was announced is the accessibility aspect is being thought about and incorporated at th design stage.  Like most of the things to do withContinueContinue reading “New iPod and the Importance of Input Feedback”

iPhone text accessibility plan from AT&T

For deaf, hearing impaired, and those with difficulties talking, AT&T unveiled a Text Accessibility Plan. For $40.00 per month, qualified customers get unlimited text and unlimited data, without any allotment of minutes for talk time. Sensible move by AT&T, showing that barriers to access don’t always involve convaluted solutions. [via techgadgetupdate]

The Touch Barrier – Testing the pogo stylus

pogo no go After writing an article about my concerns over the pervasive use of touch I was alerted via a comment to the pogo stylus [thanks @garthk] . The Touch Barrier pogo stylus I thought it might’ve been a solution so I wrote to “Ten One Design” outlining why I’m so interested. The responseContinueContinue reading “The Touch Barrier – Testing the pogo stylus”

Awesome NES Controller Coffee Table

Kyle, an Aussie no less, has built a ripper coffee table come trunk that actually looks like and operates as a Nintendo controller. The build quality is great and the finishing touches and attention to detail fantastic. He details the build over on his blog “Ultra Awesome”. Aside from a great fun project this isContinueContinue reading “Awesome NES Controller Coffee Table”

Tongue Control

clipped from gtresearchnews.gatech.edu For Immediate Release June 30, 2008 A new assistive technology developed by engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology could help individuals with severe disabilities lead more independent lives. The novel system allows individuals with disabilities to operate a computer, control a powered wheelchair and interact with their environments simply by movingContinueContinue reading “Tongue Control”

Hardware prims

Some various links to sites highlighting some of the thinking and experimenting being done around ‘adaptable’ hardware. Some of it ‘open-source-hardware’. Anything used as a basis to build something else I like to refer to as a “prim” – borrowing from the secondlife concept of “primitives” – small basic building blocks used to build allContinueContinue reading “Hardware prims”