Effect of a Dynamic Keyboard and Word Prediction Systems on Text Input Speed in Patients with Functional Tetraplegia

International audienceInformation technology plays a very important role in society. People with disabilities are often limited by slow text input speed despite the use of assistive devices. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a dynamic on-screen keyboard (Custom Virtual Keyboard) and a word-prediction system (Sibylle) on text input speed in participants with functional tetraplegia. Ten participants tested four modes at home (static on-screen keyboard with and without word prediction and dynamic on-screen keyboard with and without word prediction) for 1 mo before choosing one mode and then using it for another month. Initial mean text input speed was around 23 words per minute with the static keyboard and 12 words per minute with the dynamic keyboard. The results showed that the dynamic keyboard reduced text input speed by 37% compared with the standard keyboard and that the addition of word prediction had no effect on text input speed. We suggest that current forms of dynamic keyboards and word prediction may not be suitable for increasing text input speed, particularly for subjects who use pointing devices. Future studies should evaluate the optimal ergonomic design of dynamic keyboards and the number and position of words that should be predicted

Telling Tales:Unlocking the Potential of AAC Technologies

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has been transformed by the social media revolution made possible by the emergence of mobile technology. The cumbersome dedicated devices of the 1970s have evolved into a burgeoning AAC app industry. However, the limited use and abandonment of AAC technologies remains high. Unlocking the untapped potential of technology requires a paradigm shift in the design of AAC technologies by building systems that minimize the cognitive load placed on users, adapting to their individual physical and language needs. Telling Tales shares insights and stories of how the combination of user-centred design, interdisciplinary research and the application of intelligent computing is providing a vision of future generations of AAC technologies.</p

Prediction Using S-TAG

While the above aspects of systemic linguistics make it very attractive for use by a prediction system, in its present formulation systemic linguistics does have its draw-backs. In particular, while the aspects noted in systemic linguistics do affect the syntax chosen for the intended utterance, systemic linguistics itself has no formal explicit treatment of syntax. In this work we propose to augment the systemic grammar framework with a formal syntactic component. In particular, our investigation has led us to Tree Adjoining Grammar (Joshi, 1983) as a formalism which is particularly well suited for this task. In systemics, an utterance is made by going through a system of choices, each of which can be a choice at different strata; situation, semantics, or syntax. Selectin

PAL:an effort efficient portable communication aid and keyboard emulator.

A communication aid for the physically handicapped offers the user complete word predictions from a dictionary which is adaptive (modified through use). Implemented on the Epson PX8, the aid is truly portable, and when used as a keyboard emulator up to 60% saving in character selections is possible