Hi all,
From the excellent FAST R&D newsletter comes a paper (open [1]) on using 'sniffing' as a switch input. The paper covers the method and it seems relatively simple technology to replicate. Another useful possibility to consider if needed...
Look forward to seeing you all at RAATE (don't forget to book!).
Cheers
Simon
[1] http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/07/13/1006746107.full.pdf+html?sid=d306bac9-dd5f-4bf7-b841-d43bc9f1b70d
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Scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, have developed a device controlled by sniffing which allows people with severe physical impairments to communicate via a computer. One 51-year old woman with 'locked in' syndrome which mean she could not move any part of her body was able to type an email to her children using this technology. The device works by detecting slight changes in pressure that are produced when a person opens or closes their soft palate, the tissue at the roof of the mouth that controls air flow through the nose.
The speed at which patients can write with the new device varies between around 20 seconds and a minute for a single letter of the alphabet, and one new user said he preferred it to using an eye gaze system. In another test of the device, a 30-year-old man who was paralysed from the neck down in a car accident six years ago, used the device to steer a motorised wheelchair along a winding path 30 metres long. For more details, go here<http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/jul/26/sniffing-device-paralysed-woman-communicate>
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________________________________
From: Assistive Technology R&D News [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 4:36 PM
To: Judge Simon (Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)
Subject: Bulletin No. 17, July 2010
[http://www.fastuk.org/_images/bulletin/logo.gif]<http://www.fastuk.org>
Assistive Technology (AT) R&D News
Bulletin No. 17, July 2010
[http://www.fastuk.org/_images/bulletin/header_pic.jpg]<http://www.fastuk.org>
Welcome
This news bulletin highlights innovation in AT service delivery and FAST welcomes contributions.
Please note there will be no bulletin in August, and the next R&D News will be sent out in September.
Contents
1. Funding update
2. New projects
3. RAATE conference
4. AT in the news
5. Call for Papers
6. Jobs
7. Events and resources
1. Funding update
* NHS South East Coast is seeking new innovations to enable people with dementia to live more independently. The desired outcomes of the proposed technology development must cover at least one or more of the following areas:
* Ensuring people with dementia are able to maintain independence
* Supporting carers by reducing the burden of care placed upon them
* Ensuring equality of healthcare and access to healthcare for people with dementia
Deadline for applications is 9th September 2010 and there is more information here<http://www.fastuk.org/research/fundingopportunities.php#SBRI_competitoin_-_Living_Well_with_Dementia>.
* The NIHR School for Social Care Research (SSCR) invites full research proposals which demonstrate relevance and potential improvements for adult social care practice in England. The SSCR has five core research programmes: preventing and reducing the need for adult social care; promoting choice and independence; balancing care and work; developing solutins to changing needs; delivering integrated services.
Proposals need to consider the following:
* outcomes for people who use social care services and for their carers
* cost-effectiveness
* generalisability beyond the specific research site/context
* transferability into recommendations for practice
* an understanding of longer-term sustainability
* appropriate involvement of people who use social care, carers and practitioners in the proposed research
Deadline is 12th August 2010 and there is more information via this link<http://www.fastuk.org/research/fundingopportunities.php#NIHR_Research_for_Patient_Benefit__RfPB__Competition_13_>.
* The NIHR RfPB Programme invites applications for applied research projects to provide benefit for NHS patients and other users of health and social care services. RfPB is a nationally co-ordinated funding stream for regionally commissioned research. Projects are funded up to 36 months in duration to a maximum of £250k. Deadline is 24th September 2010 and there is more detail here<http://www.fastuk.org/research/fundingopportunities.php#NIHR_Research_for_Patient_Benefit__RfPB__Competition_13_>.
* The NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research Applications invites research proposals from leading research groups for a coherent series of related projects to tackle high priority health issues. Proposals should provide evidence to improve health outcomes in England through promotion of health, prevention of ill health, and optimal disease management (including safety and quality), with particular emphasis on conditions causing significant disease burden. Funding of up to £2m is available over a period of three to five years. The deadline for applications is 11th October 2010 and there is more information here<http://www.fastuk.org/research/fundingopportunities.php#NIHR_Programme_Grants_for_Applied_Research_Competition_9__>.
* The NIHR Programme Development Grants invites proposals from research teams to undertake preparatory work that will position them to submit a successful Programme Grant for Applied Research application in a subsequent funding competition. Funding of between £20k and £100k is available over a period of 6-18 months.Deadline is 25th October and there is more information via this link<http://www.fastuk.org/research/fundingopportunities.php#NIHR_Programme_Development_Grants_Competition_4>.
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2. New projects
* Older people are much less likely to use the online banking facilities that their children take for granted, and depend very much more on cash transactions. Age UK and Barclays Bank are funding work by Newcastle University's Culture Lab on a project New approaches to banking for the older old which seeks to understand these problems from the user's point of view and work to provide user-centred solutions to practical problems. An example is a wallet shaped foldable display. One half would display recent transactions with dates and amounts, the other half the current balance, as a figure and an analogue quantity. To keep the interface simple this device would only be used to see the individual's account. The transactions themselves would be carried out at an ATM, via the telephone or whatever and would have immediate effects on the displays. To find out more, go here<http://www.fastuk.org/research/projview.php?id=1635>.
* Aphasia is a language disorder, usually caused by stroke. It affects a substantial number of people - there are about 250,000 people living with aphasia in the UK and approximately 45,000 new cases each year. People with aphasia have difficulty with all aspects of communication: speaking, reading and writing. One approach advocated by therapists is for the person with aphasia to communicate using gestures, but this also poses challenges as the ability to produce and understand gestures may be impaired because of neurological trauma. Researchers at the Centre for Human Computer Interaction at City University are working on a project, Gesture recognition in aphasia therapy, to develop and pilot an innovative gesture training tool to be used in aphasia therapy at home. The project is being funded by EPSRC and there is more information here<http://www.fastuk.org/research/projview.php?id=1643>.
* Cumbria County Council is funding an eighteen month project Proposal to invest in Portable Assistive Technology to Facilitate better Social Care Assessment Processes to assess the usefulness of monitoring systems to track the health and well-being of older people living independently at home. The aim of the project is to assess who to develop an infrastructure for recommendation, purchase, recycling and feedback from potential consumers of the Just Checking service in Cumbria. The project will deploy 10 kits countywide via between 5 and 10 teams and evaluate their use in order to form recommendations. To find out more, follow this link<http://www.fastuk.org/research/projview.php?id=1655>.
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3. RAATE conference
* RAatE is the only UK conference focused on the latest innovations and developments in assistive technology and will be of interest to everyone who uses, works with, develops or conducts research on assistive technologies.
This year's one-day conference will be held on Monday 29th November 2010 at the Warwick University conference centre in Coventry, which is easily accessible by road and rail. There is also discounted accommodation available on the Warwick campus.
The keynote speak at RAatE 2010 will be Dr Martin Ferguson-Pell, who has recently been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta, which is the only free standing faculty of rehabilitation medicine in Canada.
RAatE presentations traditionally cover a broad sweep of topics, and this year's themes include AT for older people; telecare and telehealth; innovative access and wheelchair control; AT in education; and case studies of successful interventions. The programme is currently being planned and will be announced in September.
For delegate bookings, details of student discounts and accommodation, follow this link<http://www.raate.org.uk>.
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4. AT in the news
* Scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, have developed a device controlled by sniffing which allows people with severe physical impairments to communicate via a computer. One 51-year old woman with 'locked in' syndrome which mean she could not move any part of her body was able to type an email to her children using this technology. The device works by detecting slight changes in pressure that are produced when a person opens or closes their soft palate, the tissue at the roof of the mouth that controls air flow through the nose.
The speed at which patients can write with the new device varies between around 20 seconds and a minute for a single letter of the alphabet, and one new user said he preferred it to using an eye gaze system. In another test of the device, a 30-year-old man who was paralysed from the neck down in a car accident six years ago, used the device to steer a motorised wheelchair along a winding path 30 metres long. For more details, go here<http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/jul/26/sniffing-device-paralysed-woman-communicate>.
* The Future Leaders in Ageing Research in Europe (FLARE) programme is now open for applications from early-career post-doctoral researchers. Twelve three-year FLARE 2 Fellowships in multi-disciplinary ageing research in Europe are available, based in: Austria, Finland, France, Israel, Luxembourg, Quebec, Romania, and Sweden.
Funded by seven European countries, Fellowships are open to applications from candidates who embrace the two innovative features of the
programme: part of the fellowship must be spent in another country and it must also involve a cross-disciplinary collaboration. The deadline for applications is 15th October 2010, and there is more information via this link<http://www.era-age.group.shef.ac.uk/content/211/>.
* Two Scottish researchers now living in New Zealand have developed a pair of robotic legs. Known as Rex, an acronym for Robotic Exoskeleton, the legs weigh 84lb (38kg) and are operated by a small electric motor powered from a lightweight battery. Wheelchair users move across to the device in a sitting position, strap themselves in, and direct its movements through a joystick and control panel on the arm.
Rex's makers say it can stand, walk on the flat or up gentle slopes such as a ramp, turn around, and go up or down stairs. The concept took four years to develop and is based on a design originally drawn on the back of a beer mat. Rex will cost around NZ$208,000 (£97,200). To find out more, go here<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7893643/British-researchers-create-worlds-first-robotic-legs.html>.
* An assistive technology website developed by UCL has seen a surge in visitors following an article in the Mail on Sunday newspaper (here<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1293661/How-internet-help-stroke-victims-read.html>). The 'Read-Right' website developed by UCL Multimedia and the UCL Institute of Neurology provides free online therapy for people with hemianopic alexia (HA), a condition usually caused by a stroke. People with HA suffer damage to one half of their vision which affects their ability to read, as they compensate by making very inefficient eye-movements. The website provides practice in reading scrolling text, and is oe of the first examples of delivering therapy online anywhere in the world. More details about the project here<http://www.fastuk.org/research/projview.php?id=1496>.
* Coventry University has launched an Assistive Technology MSc degree. The five year part-time course starts in January 2011 and there are more details here<http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/ptshortcpd/pgpt/Pages/pgpt.aspx?itemID=61>.
* Accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers say there is an 'acute funding crisis' facing the social care sector. The firm's research shows that social care providers of services for older people are concerned about maintaining quality of services against a backdrop of rising costs and downward pressure on fees, with the majority (77%) feeling that service user expectations may be unrealistic. It also says providers recognise that they will need to move away from their traditional way of working and tailor their services to meet need. To find out more, go here<http://www.ukmediacentre.pwc.com/News-Releases/PwC-research-reveals-social-care-providers-for-the-elderly-could-struggle-to-maintain-service-quality-ede.aspx>.
* The Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB)'s recent Techshare Mobile exhibition showcased a number of handheld devices, including both a dictaphone and smartphones, designed to offer improved accessiblity for disabled people. According to a BBC news report, the event showed how the market for accessible products is growing. More details via this link<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8751946.stm>.
* A recent article in the Guardian newspaper highlighted concerns about more than 150,000 learning disabled adults who are living with carers aged 70-plus and suggests that alternative options for providing support are required. Read more here<http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jun/30/learning-disabled-adults-elderly-carers>.
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5. Call for Papers
* The Southern Institute for Health Informatics 2010 Annual Conference is being held at the University of Portsmouth on 24th September 2010. The theme for the conference is 'Digital Wellbeing - For Patients, Caregivers and Citizens and will focus on topics such as home telecare, impact of the ageing society, assisted living, personal health records and workplace wellbeing. As well as the formal conference, the 'Infomartf, an informal information marketplace area, will allow vendors and researchers to set out a stall to meet people and exchange information. Proposals for presentations will be considered until the programme is finalised. More details via this link<http://www.chmi.port.ac.uk/sihi/sihi2010/index.htm>.
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6. Jobs
* Mada, the new Qatar Assistive Technology Center, is looking for a number of recruits. Mada (which in the Arabic language means 'Horizon' and 'Limitless Potential') is a not-for-profit organisation devoted to ensuring that persons with disabilities have access to the information and communications technologies that can improve their lives. The Center, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East, will serve as a catalyst for research and development in Assistive Technology and create public awareness around best practice. For details of the jobs available, go here<http://www.fastuk.org/services/jobview.php?id=1015>.
* Leeds University is offering a funded PhD studentship in 'Designing for Inclusive Play: facilitating meaningful play between disabled and non-disabled children'. The successful applicant will work with disabled and non-disabled children aged 7 to 11 in local schools to explore their current play activities and aspirations for play, and work with them to design, prototype and evaluate toys and games to encourage inclusive play. The deadline for applications is 21st August 2010 and there are more details here<http://www.fastuk.org/services/jobview.php?id=1012>.
* The Shanghai Institute for Minimally Invasive Therapy (SIMIT) is looking for a Professor/Associate Professor in medical device technology. SIMIT has been established as a research center to bring academia, industry and government resources together to develop advanced medical technology for the booming Chinese market, and is about to move into new purpose-built premises. Deadline for applications is 31st December 2010 and there is more here<http://www.fastuk.org/services/jobview.php?id=1014>.
* Brunel University is seeking a lecturer in occupational therapy who is a qualified occupational therapist with some background experience of working in the field of physical dysfunction and disability. Candidates will be expected to participate in research through the School's Research Centres in collaboration with colleagues working in health and social care services. The deadline to apply is 31st August 2010 and the details are here<http://www.fastuk.org/services/jobview.php?id=995>.
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7. Events and resources
* As people age, independence can be maintained by use of assistive technology, by modifying homes, workplaces and environments and by selecting products that follow universal design principles. The International Conference on Ageing, Disability and Independence (ICADI) to be held in Newcastle on 7th - 10th September 2010 will feature a keynote address by Greg Vanderheiden in the Assistive and Smart Technology Track, as well as a focus on workplace adaptions. More details here<http://www.fastuk.org/services/eventview.php?id=3064>.
* The TSA's National Telecare & Telehealth Conference 2010 has the theme 'Telecare and Telehealth: drivers of change within health and social care reform'. The conference is being held in London from 15th - 17th November 2010 and there is more information here<http://www.fastuk.org/services/eventview.php?id=3153>.
* The Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe and the Rehabilitation (AAATE) and the AT group, SCHARR, University of Sheffield are holding a two day conference with the theme of 'The social model for Assistive Technology technology transfer (ATtt)'. the event is being held in Sheffield 4th- 5th October 2010. For more details, go here<http://www.fastuk.org/services/eventview.php?id=3110>.
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________________________________
The Foundation for Assistive Technology (FAST) works with the AT community to support innovation in product development and good practice in service provision. This News Bulletin is produced as a resource for AT researchers and to highlight opportunities for raising awareness of AT innovation. FAST welcomes any contributions about significant national developments for possible inclusion.
You can find out more about FAST at the FAST website<http://www.fastuk.org>. Please let us know of any colleagues who would like to receive the bulletin. If you wish to contact us or unsubscribe, please email [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.
FAST is a limited company No. 3331184 (England and Wales) | Registered Charity (No. 1061636)
Quick Links
Research for Patient Benefit funding call<http://www.fastuk.org/research/fundingopportunities.php#NIHR_Research_for_Patient_Benefit__RfPB__Competition_13_>
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RAatE 2010<http://www.raate.org.uk>
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PC control via sniffing <http://www.guardian.co.uk:80/science/2010/jul/26/sniffing-device-paralysed-woman-communicate>
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Future Leaders in Ageing Research in Europe programme<http://www.era-age.group.shef.ac.uk/content/211/>
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International Conference on Ageing, Disability and Independence<http://www.fastuk.org/services/eventview.php?id=3064>
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Fast Contacts
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