System developed to help children communicate
It fits on youngsters’ wheelchairs
Published:
SCIENTISTS at Aberdeen University have helped to develop a computer system that allows children with speech and movement problems to communicate better with their families.
The How was school today? system works by attaching sensors to a computer on a child’s wheelchair that track his or her movements and record what the child did during the school day.
This information is then used to generate simple sentences which are read aloud by an electronic voice, giving parents a summary of what activities their child was involved in.
Teachers and carers who interact with the child during the day can also input information about what the child has done.
The system is the result of a year-long project between scientists at Aberdeen University and Dundee University, along with Capability Scotland.
Ehud Reiter, 40, from Don Street, Aberdeen, who is a reader in computer science at Aberdeen University, said: “Sensors are placed around the school building to track the child’s location.
“The computer does the talking but the child is in control, choosing the order of what is said, giving them the feeling that they are telling the story. When the electronic voice says what they had for lunch they can add in comments like ‘It was tasty’.
“So far the system has only been tested on children with cerebral palsy but we want to explore how it can assist all children with communication problems.”
The technology was used by children at Corseford School in Renfrewshire in January and further trials are expected at the school later in the year.
