April 20, 2006
BoohBah
Stephen and I finally got the RF circuit working. We ended up using the old PIC18F452 instead of the 12675 (8 pin, internal clock). I wanted to share an anecdote about why this thing ended up working. We had an LED on the receive pin of the RF receiver so we could see if we were getting data. It would blink when data was coming in. When I program, there's never any partial data loss. If x=5, x will stay five unless I make it 4. It will never turn into 4.99.
This isn't the case with electricity. The RF receiver was receiving information (data) in the form of electricity, and the light was taking some of that electricity to run the debugging 'routine'. Thus the data was corrupted when it made it to the pic chip. Information was being used to light a light instead of to make a branching decision.
The lesson here is to separate your debugging from function and not take shortcuts.
It works!
Posted by mb2811 at 02:10 PM
March 02, 2006
Boohbahs
Our assistive tech project:
Posted by mb2811 at 02:21 AM
January 31, 2006
Sounds Pods
Problem
Assistive technology is expensive and oftentimes serves only one
purpose (i.e. a vibrating alarm clock for people who cannot hear).
Goal
Build a customizable, assistive technology device that will allow
hearing impaired individuals to experience the world like everybody
else. give them more awareness of their world. Don't wait for the
devices people to use to change (soda machine, alarm clock). instead
build an intermediary to negotiate signals between unassistive
technologies and those in need of assistance.
Idea/Device
Individual pods, globally connected to a wearable vibrating module and
configured from a pc using bluetooth which will help the wearer become
aware of the sounds around them. different pods would be programmed
to react to different sounds and vibrate the wearable with a different
pattern. the system would come with default sounds but would also be
fully customizable with personal sounds. individual pods will be able
to support multiple sounds and multiple vibration.
the started kit comes with a couple of pods. more can be purchased as needed.
Pod Placement/Uses
near the doorbell chime
next to the alarm clock
next to the tea kettle
next to the smoke detector
on the dog's collar for when it barks
on yourself for detection conversation
Other Ideas
configurable via home computer
pod low on battery alert (or maybe they are plugged in?)
default/sample sounds
different vibrations to detect different pods
Research
I went through the Harris website and I think our idea is still very
strong. What we assumed about the market is correct. There are
plenty of custom alert modules for telephone, doorbell, alarm clock
etc but nothing general to allow a hearing impaired person to
customize what they want to 'hear'. It's as if they are segregated by
the industry. This is what we say is important, why would you care
about anything else?
There are a couple of products that did a little more but they had no
customization component. A baby alert system
(http://www.harriscomm.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=1140_44_1086)
which also does an alarm clock and dorbell and an ADA complaint hotel
room kit. The baby alert system would be a great example for our
project. The hotel room kit did four or five things but it wasn't for
the end user to carry around, it was for the hotel room to be wired.
A hotel owner has to buy one per room.
I also spoke to Spencer and he said that what we are suggesting is
feasible. The fine tuning would involve the direction of the
microphone and the proximity to the nose emitter (alarm clock, etc.)
Posted by mb2811 at 08:48 PM
January 22, 2006
Assistive Tech
A great mix of people. Designers, people who have a personal stake in improving assitive technology and occupational therapists who have given us a challenge to improve the ghastly contraptions that their clients are forced to use. I'm very excited about this one, it's the class that for me really typifies what ITP is about. It's the class I was telling my friends about when I was applying to a program. "You get to visit different clinics, evaluate people's needs there and build something for them!" With last semester's projects, we weren't getting feedback on our work until the winter show. With this class, we have a target population which we will be consulting as we design and redesign.
The first class was introductions and a short exercise to give us a feeling with what it's like to have a particular disability (cognitive, visual, nervous system, etc.)
Quotes
"Current technology is solving for the general case, 95%, the 5% is what is interesting"
Occupation therapists focus on function. What can't you do?
Posted by mb2811 at 08:46 PM