Dear all,

I have received the following about a "new idea" from a colleague in social science. I would have thought that this gentleman's needs would be met by a good EAT referral centre without having to develop new equipment/software (although I suspect any device may be difficult for this particular client to come to terms with).

Can anyone confirm that opinion or make other suggestions? I'd like to know because this technology could be another useful tool for  older people in general.

Hasn't anyone created a voice-recognition SMS (text telephone) system yet?

Thanks
Alan

>My father is 90 and lives in another city.  He is too confused to write
>letters or even to phone, as he does not remember phone numbers.  I use
>voice recognition software for my correspondence, and have often thought
>that a simplified version could be designed for confused older people such
>as him.  If he could touch a screen to indicate to whom he wanted the
>message sent, and then pick up a microphone, or speak into a clearly marked
>space on a box, he could be in much greater communication with others.  So I
>am suggesting the use of voice recognition coupled with email and a touch
>sensitive screen, to enable this.
>
>It would require rigorous attention to simplifying the design of the PC and
>the software.  The PC would need to be designed purely for that one purpose.
>For example, the PC would need to be voice-activated or activated by lifting
>the microphone.  There would need to be a list of names on the touch-screen
>for the person to touch:  touch would activate the email address of that
>person and the voice recognition software, showing a large message on the
>screen 'start talking into the microphone'.
>
>Voice recognition is not yet 1005 accurate and each user needs to train the
>software to recognise his/her voice.  This would probably need to be
>overseen by someone else, either a carer or whoever markets the system.  It
>does not take more than 30 minutes or so.  For the purposes I envisage, 95%
>accuracy is quite adequate.
>
>I would be happy to take this further if you wish
>
>Dr Lester Sireling
>Consultant Psychiatrist
>Barnet Psychiatric Unit
>Wellhouse Lane
>Barnet , Herts
>EN5 3DJ
>0208-216 4616
>
>--- End Forwarded Message ---


__________________________________________________
Dr Alan R Turner-Smith, Reader in Rehabilitation Engineering
Centre of Rehabilitation Engineering         www.kcl.ac.uk/core
Dept Medical Engineering & Physics
King's College Hospital,   Denmark Hill,   LONDON,   SE5 9RS
Tel: +44 (0)20 7346 1650               Fax: +44 (0)20 7346 1651