Assistive Technology Developed by Kids Using the MakeyMakey

Also see: https://youtu.be/noGF9Gak1QY

Make Writing Fun!

https://youtu.be/C2bQJshUNZk

New Uses of Sound Waves to Levitate Objects

New Uses of Sound Waves to Levitate Objects



http://mashable.com/2017/06/07/conductive-paint-studio-london/

Virtual Reality Technology for Cerebral Palsy

more information at : http:/www.cpfamilynetwork.org

X-keys USB Switch Interface

6 dual switch ports in a compact, low profile footprint. Easily convert any switch closure to a keyboard, multimedia, or mouse command.

• Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android

*this is not intended as an ad.  Testing and review to follow. 

http://xkeys.com/xkeys/xkswi.php

Assistive Robot Arm for Power Chair

A request to Lego:

Please help lobby Lego to make conductive (Maker) Legos by sharing this article/request.

"As an educator and assistive technology practitioner I work on ways to improve access for kids with disabilities.  One technique my colleagues and I use involves using a small micro controller (MakeyMakey) in conjunction with conductive materials (e.g. bananas, clay, etc) to make customized switches.  These switches can automate a voice, turn on a light, or play a song. 

I was excited to hear about Legos commitment to reducing the use of plastics and moving toward a more bio-degradable alternative.  Partly for the environmental reasons and partly for the hope that Legos could some day be conductive, allowing kids and AT practitioners alike to make tools for kids with disabilities.  

I'm writing in hopes that you might be able to consider using conductive materials in developing the next generation of Lego.  It would certainly open a lot of doors for our kids.

Thank you kindly for your time and consideration,"

Pete Carpenter (occupational therapist, father, and Lego fan) 

If you have thoughts or questions, please add to the comments section below.

MakeyMakey, Hackcess, and ushering in a new era of low cost assistive technology

Engineering Smart Wheelchairs

“Our end goal with this is for people who have disabilities to be able to have freedom,”

Martin Gerdzhev, graduate student working on the SmartWheeler at McGill University in Montreal.

 Having a wheelchair that can autonomously navigate its environment would be a boon for children or people who have cognitive impairments, don’t have enough upper body strength to maneuver a regular wheelchair or are paraplegics. Often people who can’t move their hands and arms must resort to “sip and puff” devices that control a motorized wheelchair through changes in air pressure, which can get exhausting.  Researchers have been working on robotic wheelchairs for decades, but thanks to the advent of better computer-vision and navigation algorithms, more powerful computers and more sensitive sensors, scientists are starting to make some progress.

Plus, there are self-driving cars on the road now, from Google and many automakers. With more public awareness of autonomous vehicles, so the technology doesn’t seem as foreign or futuristic as it once did.   For full article please see: http://cs.mcgill.ca/~smartwheeler/index.html

"The hard part, she says, is convincing insurance companies and government health agencies to pay for them, as autonomous wheelchairs aren’t going to come cheap."

Case Western Reserve University

Bay Area Makeathon, 72 Hours to Build New Assistive Tech

Don's Voice

The EyeWriter

Tony 'TEMPT' Quan is a legendary LA graffiti artist, social activist, and publisher who was diagnosed with ALS in 2003. Mick organized a crew of hackers and artists to invent a low-cost, open source DIY device that would let Tempt create art with his eyes. Through trial and error, The Eyewriter was born and Tempt was back to using his creativity.

OneSwitch:

http://oneswitch.org.uk/#intro

A resource of fun ideas and 'assistive technology' aimed at moderate to severely learning/physically disabled people.

Paul Kotler - in his own words