January 30, 2007
Emerging Technology Overview Available
This new resource provides a glimpse into the future of information and communications technologies (ICT). The images and references in this overview provide a sense of how future technology could impact disability access research, development, and policy. Instead of creating a compendium of the latest technology advances, Trace staff selected items for inclusion in this overview because they illustrate significant changes that consumer groups, researchers, product developers, standards bodies, and government regulators should be aware of. Included are technologies currently in research and development, some that have been demonstrated in the laboratory as prototypes, and products that are already commercially available.
Posted at 1:52 PM on January 30, 2007.
Brain-Computer Interface Study Featured on Local News
Graduate student Elizabeth Felton's study exploring the control of a computer cursor using only brain signals was featured on a recent local news broadcast. These experiments are being conducted at the Trace Center, funded in part by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Felton is pursuing an MD-PhD under the direction of Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Justin Williams. This type of interface shows great promise for people with severe physical disabilities, and may one day allow people who cannot speak or move to more easily and efficiently use computers and other devices.
Transcript of News Video:
Caroline Lyders, WISN 12 News, Reporting: This hallway leads directly into the future. It is a research lab at UW-Madison's Biomedical Engineering Department. Graduate student Elizabeth Felton is part of a team exploring ways people can perform simple tasks just by using their brains.
Elizabeth Felton, UW Graduate Student: This is a brain-computer interface study.
Lyders: She's hooking up a cap fitted with electrodes to one of her research subjects. Squeezing gel into the electrodes with a syringe increases their effectiveness. The electrodes pick up brain signals, which are fed through an amplifier into a computer.
Felton: In this case, they are controlling the movement of a cursor on a computer screen using their brain signals.
Lyders: The study subjects are trained to use imagery to move the cursor left or right, up or down. They do not move their hands. You can see it works.
Curt Irwin, Research Subject: I think about squeezing just different handles. So if I want the ball to move to the right, I think about squeezing the handle with my right hand. And then the same with my left hand.
Felton: What we are looking to do is develop a technology that would allow people with severe motor disabilities to control external things with their brain signals.
Lyders: And that's why people like Richard Kuntz are part of the study. Richard Kuntz has muscular dystrophy and is quadriplegic. Elizabeth comes to his Madison home to conduct her research.
Kuntz: I'm excited, I jumped at the chance.
Lyders: With Richard, one of the tasks is a yes/no question and answer.
Felton: [To Kuntz] Do you like to tell jokes? [Screen shows cursor ball moving toward "Yes."] This would be really nice for someone who is unable to speak. You could ask them yes or no questions.
Lyders: The technology could also lead to banks of letters or words, enabling the speechless to communicate just by thinking about what they want to say. The possibilities are numerous.
Justin Williams, UW Engineering Professor: We started thinking of typing, word processing. And certainly controlling a wheelchair is long-term our real goal. But even simple things like turning your TV on and off or switching the channel. All the kind of things that we really take for granted. You could look around your house any day and start to find applications everywhere.
Lyders: For Richard, technology that could lead to greater independence.
Kuntz: It's definitely cool.
Lyders: The UW researchers anticipate having the system available for people with severe disabilities in about 5 years. But they won't stop there. They hope some day to make this technology small enough that it could be safely implanted on the surface of the brain. It would recognize the brain's intent and make the task happen.
Posted at 10:07 AM on January 30, 2007.
January 11, 2007
Increasing Complexity of Electronic Devices Discussed at CES Panel
Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden contributed to a lively panel discussion at last week's International Consumer Electronics Show. Possible solutions were presented to the problem of consumer devices that are too difficult for consumers to understand and use. Some of the most promising strategies include those developed as part of Trace's work on universal remote console and interface sockets, as well as natural language interface. Read a full report in EE Times.
Posted at 10:49 AM on January 11, 2007.
January 5, 2007
Presentations and Demos at CES
Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden was part of a panel on new interface and interoperability guidelines on Jan. 8 at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Gottfried Zimmermann demonstrated the user interface socket developed by Trace as part of its support of the URC Consortium and related standards efforts.
The proposed user interface socket (based on ISO/IEC DIS 24752) is the connection point between a controller and an electronic device in the home network. It opens up a broad range of intuitive, Web-based user interfaces to make digital home products easier to use for all customers, including those with disabilities.
Demonstrations at CES will show how easily a UPnP Media Server and Media Renderer could be controlled with a myriad of user input devices, including large displays, cell phones, PDAs, tablet PCs, and (in the future) natural language speech recognition. The UI socket concept can so simplify the process of using electronics that it becomes task-oriented and not overly technical or confusing for the consumer.
Three demonstrations will be shown at CES. "PickIt" is a task-oriented user interface on a Motorola Q smartphone. With the Moto Q the user can upload photos to the Media Server, browse through its content and show pictures, and listen to music or watch movies from the Media Server through the Media Renderer. The upcoming CEA-2018 standard on task model representations will facilitate similar user interfaces as shown in this demo.
"DragIt" controls digital media via drag 'n drop from a tablet PC. A new breed of user interface, based on CEA-2014 and Web 2.0 concepts, lets the user intuitively control their media. For example, to upload photos to the Media Server, simply drag the camera icon onto the Media Server icon. Or, the user can listen to music by dropping the album from the Media Server onto the Media Renderer icon.
"PlayIt" is a Flash-based user interface for a PDA. This Flash application connects the PDA to the Media Server and Media Renderer devices. Thus, the user can command slide shows, movies, and music performances at home with the convenience of a wirelessly connected PDA.
For more information about these demonstrations and Trace's work on interface sockets, contact us or see the URC Consortium.
Posted at 2:46 PM on January 5, 2007.
January 2, 2007
Telecom Access Policy Paper Released by NCD
The National Council on Disability released a policy paper on "The Need for Federal Legislation and Regulation Prohibiting Telecommunications and Information Services Discrimination." This paper, drafted by Karen Peltz Strauss, incorporates many recommendations provided by the Telecommunication Access RERC to the FCC. Her new book on this topic is A New Civil Right: Telecommunications Equality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans.
Posted at 10:33 PM on January 2, 2007.
NCD Report on Emerging Technologies
The National Council on Disability released "Over the Horizon: Potential Impact of Emerging Trends in Information and Communication Technology on Disability Policy and Practice," a policy paper exploring key trends in information and communication technology, highlighting the potential opportunities and problems these trends present for people with disabilities, and suggesting strategies to maximize opportunities and avoid potential problems and barriers. Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden drafted this report based on the Center's research and review of emerging technologies, and research done by Steve Jacobs, President of IDEAL Group.
Posted at 5:28 PM on January 2, 2007.