A Humanitarian Engineering Problem 385
zrosener asks: "A have a friend who has ALS (Stephen Hawking's ailment), a particularly nasty disease in which her motor neurons deteriorate over time, slowly waylaying her. She is in pretty bad shape now, and her movement is restricted to moving her eyes, and very limited (1 inch in each direction) hand movement. She has very light bell that she uses to wake up her husband when she needs assistance, but as her strength wanes it is becoming less and less effective. She is afraid at night now that if something were to go wrong she would not be able to rouse her husband. My challenge to you is to design a noise-making-husband-alerting device cheaply and quickly assembled from strip mall parts (Radioshack, Walmart, etc.) that she could use with her extremely restricted movement. Buttons are out of the questions, as are anything that requires gripping. Analog answers are encouraged too! Please email all suggestions or post them."
Sort-of button idea (Score:5, Informative)
An idea, that is sort of like a button but not quite is to use those touch-sensetive lightswitch panels (the on/off kind, not dimmer kind) so you only need a very light touch to trigger the switch.
Some thoughts... (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, a sensitive motion detector? It might be able to pick up blinking or other movements she could make moving an object like a pencil.
How about a handicapped-helper dog?
Another idea is a button she could bite on that triggers a noisemaker.
Advice: I hope you find something. Be creative. Use functions of her body which are not affected by ALS, i.e. respiration or heart rate. If either vital signs drop or accelerate to a certain point, a simple breathing monitor or heart monitor would make noise.
Re:Some thoughts... (Score:5, Insightful)
Good luck! I hope your friend finds something to help!
MacGuyver! (Score:2, Interesting)
mount the assembly on a telescopic-boom (like a $20 microphone stand)
If you felt so inclined, you could mount a second pipe for the other axis and increase your options...
set up a simple pc that runs a dedicated macromedia flash file, and now when the cursor moves you can communicate basic wants/needs that are setup as onmouseover routines...
inhaling makes the cursor move up. exhaling makes the cursor move down.
also depending on her skill with the device you could set up chorded strings of commands... like
I Want...(y-axis) Water...(x-axis)
perhaps you could come up with some time-out function that would automatically re-center the cursor so that she doesn't frustrate herself with all the blowing...
this does depend on her ability to control her breathing, however.. you may want to try two commands first, like "water" or "bathroom" then you could advance to "good morning" or "I love you"...
Off the shelf portable biofeedback monitor, $500 (Score:5, Interesting)
I suggest a portable biofeedback monitor. My GF uses one for muscle problems. They have a light, relatively small sensor that can be taped to the skin. When the muscle underneath is tensed, the alarm goes off - and the trigger level is widely adjustable.
The device she uses is walkman sized and cost about $500 from a company in Canada. The brand name is Myotrac.
Any working muscle will do and the thing is very sensitive, with gain as well as level controls. And very easy to use. Google turns up lots of hits, here's the manufacturers URL: http://www.thoughttechnology.com/myotrac.htm [thoughttechnology.com]
As a bonus, the engineers answer the phone and will gladly discuss your intended use.
Proublem (Score:4, Insightful)
-Ben
(Yes I know my spelling is poor but it's 2 am and I've been up more than 36 hours)
Re:Sort-of button idea (Score:5, Informative)
"QProx(tm) QT110/QT110H Charge-Transfer Touch Sensor"
datasheet [digikey.com]
related products [digikey.com]
Digi-Key part number 427-1006-ND. Available in single units for 2.53USD. 8-]
Re:Sort-of button idea (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Sort-of button idea (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Sort-of button idea (Score:2)
Strap the pad to said woman's hand in such a way that the finger tip rests at the centre of the touchable area, and then plug the pad into a cheap/free PC (perhaps something that boots from a floppy running a single disk distro?).
No HDD sounds, just the power supply (you could leave the CPU fan off if it was a 386). Keep the PC just outside the bedroom.
I haven't read the other ideas yet, so I'm sure there's better ideas out there.
Eye movement/signal motion-detector (Score:2, Insightful)
David
Retinal device thingy (Score:2, Insightful)
Breath Button (Score:5, Informative)
I know some people do morse code this way because they can't move their hands or legs.
Re:Breath Button (Score:2)
Re:Breath Button (Score:2)
My reccomendation is to find out how the prosthetic arms work. Take whatever sensor they use and attach it to a muscle that still works. Hook it into a big-assed buzzer. All you need is something that will close a circuit, on demand, for a fraction of a seond. Even (relatively)cheap Piezo-Eletric devices could be used to detect slight motion.
Re:Breath Button (Score:4, Informative)
possible approaches (Score:2, Insightful)
2) perhaps a more intrusive than she'd accept, but something based on jaw clench is possible
3) voice recognition... not a radio shack problem, i'm afraid tho
how about a photodetector? (Score:5, Informative)
Simple. Get a small lightbulb and arrange it to shine on a photodetector. Hook it up so that a buzzer will sound if the detector output drops.
Then all she has to do is move her hand to cover the detector and the buzzer will sound.
For slightly more technical than Rat Shack, use an IR LED with corresponding detector.
Re:how about a photodetector? (Score:2)
Another possibility I thought of is a slider switch like they sell for dimmer lights. You can get some that actuate very smoothly with a small range of motion.
Re:how about a photodetector? (Score:2, Interesting)
you can find plans to make the circuit at the following website
http://www.reconnsworld.com/ir_ultrasonic_basic
Re:how about a photodetector? (Score:2)
Complete the circut Switch with two metal plates. (Score:5, Informative)
When she needs help she moves that tiny distance and her hand touches both plates and completes the circut which is then wired to any bell and whistle you might choose.
Simple but effective and easy.
Puto
Re:Complete the circut Switch with two metal plate (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Complete the circut Switch with two metal plate (Score:5, Insightful)
you could work in some extra circuitry to make certian very quick brushes don't trigger the sound, but that's optional.
Re:Complete the circut Switch with two metal plate (Score:2)
Re:Complete the circut Switch with two metal plate (Score:3, Informative)
Exactly. Minimal distance between the contacts for a lower amperage power supply (I don't think a standard battery will connect through 4-5 inches of human skin, but 1/2 cm obviously works). a cap in parallel with whatever you want to go off (alarm or relay) after the contacts will give you a small delay as the cap charges to keep quick brushes from setting it off.
I'd love to do an ascii circuit diagram but the lameness filter will have none of that :)
Re:Complete the circut Switch with two metal plate (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Complete the circut Switch with two metal plate (Score:2)
My idea - steal it and make the world better. (Score:2, Interesting)
?
Re:My idea - steal it and make the world better. (Score:2, Funny)
Hold your breath for a certain amount of time (or die)
"Ok, this is really easy to operate: all you have to do is die..."
two ideas (Score:2, Redundant)
1. inductive switch -- the "touch" pads at home depot, or like in lamps where you touch the base (sorry, don't know the circuit, but i'm sure a few google searches would turn something up).
2. air operated switch -- blow into a small rubber tube; i've seen this used by teams who launch devices into stormclouds to force lightening strikes. it provides complete decoupling from the circutry (that's why they like it) and only requires a breath to flip the switch.
Optical switch and buzzer (Score:3, Insightful)
Of course, you'd need a second one to signal when the first one's batteries go out.
And and third to do that for the second.
And a fourth to do that for the third.
She has an infinite number of fingers right? That will solve this. If not, I guess you should just build one.
Re:Optical switch and buzzer (Score:2, Insightful)
biofeedback device? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:biofeedback device? (Score:2, Funny)
More info needed... (Score:2)
My first thought would be a whistle attached to a standard orthodontics face-brace. She could talk or breath as normal, or pucker her lips and blow through a whistle located at the corner of her mouth.
Or how about two wires close together that she can touch with the tip of her tongue to close the circuit and sound a buzzer? Or similar but with a light-sensitive sensor.
- JoeShmoe
.
heart rate monitor (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:heart rate monitor (Score:4, Insightful)
[Thanking to The Great Nerd Up There I haven't been struck with either fate]
--Ben
Re:heart rate monitor (Score:2)
Infared beam break sensor? (Score:5, Insightful)
Ratshack even used to sell a larger-scale version of this as a door entry bell. You placed the unit and a reflector on either side of a doorway and anytime someone walks through the beam a chime sounds. Most ratshacks had these set up and operating to alert the salespeople to incoming customers during off-hours.
You might be able to find a pre-made version of this device on a small scale for detecting cabinet openings, or as a small portable "hotel room alarm" but most of these kinds of devices will not use this mode of sensing. (most cabinet alarms sense the light pouring in from the room into the cabinet, and most hotel alarms hang on the doorknob and sense being rocked around with a mercury switch.)
Re:Infared beam break sensor? (Score:2)
Anne Francis - Forbidden Planet
Automotive micro switch (Score:2, Informative)
Hook one of these up to a relay switch and then to the power supply of a noise maker and you may have a solution
Good Luck.
Breath-operated (Score:2)
Perhaps a little more information about what her capabilites are would be helpful.
mouth? (Score:2)
make something that fits into a mouth peice that would require a sequence of bite-downs. not just one cuz she probably will bite on it during sleep.
make it like the football mouthpeices with the btreathing hole in the center - so as not to suffocate.
then it could be used to communicate more than just at night....
make it have an outer guard that prevents it from going into her mouth all the way - and maybe a little elastic strap so as to prevent it from falling out during rest.
she could learn some sort of oral morris code that would allow for her to communicate much more effectively - and would probably be a much cheaper solution to develope than Hawkings rig....
Use a lever (Score:2)
Well... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Well... (Score:2)
btw, never heard /. being referred to as a "helpful" community (even supposedly) before - some people just get lucky.
to recapitulate - fuck off, you misguided arbiter of political correctness, with your lame attempts to baselessly elevate yourself above the rest of /.ers
You can pick up... (Score:2)
Note -- I'm a digital boy and I'm designing this in my head, so I could be very wrong.
So, for the trouble of one mail order part, you have a buzzer that trigers when a strip is straightened. Very very little force required to move it.
Either that, or just attach a lever arm attached to a pot set just close enough that a small movement will trigger the transistor on the buzzer so that she can push down on a paddle with minimal force.
I wonder... (Score:2)
I really wish I understood this condition better.
skin is conductive (Score:3, Insightful)
Or some lightweight convex surface with the contacts mounted underneath -- much lower resistance than a mechanical button or switch but less likely to go off accidentally. You could use the material from a small speaker dome and put conductive traces on the inside. Along with a cheap piezo buzzer and a 9V battery.
Cordless doorbell (Score:2)
Hair trigger alarm (Score:2, Interesting)
Just my $0.02 USD.
optical or sip/puff switches (Score:4, Interesting)
While most people accessed the devices (made them talk) by touching the touch panel, some people used sip/puff or optical switches (among other types of switches) to activate the devices.
The tash mercury switch bottom of this page [tashinc.com] might be an option, also look into proximity switches.
Capacitive Proximity Sensors (Score:3, Informative)
We've been able to sense a finger from several inches away with one of these that has been adjusted correctly. If a person can move a finger up to an inch, even without being able to apply pressure with it, a sensor like this will have no problem detecting that.
(Yes, this is a tech report about the Mitsubishi Electric "Smart Drinking Glass" that was reported earlier [slashdot.org] on slashdot.)
use a computer... (Score:2, Interesting)
hmm, suppose the husband has a computer. now, suppose he is asleep, so the computer is not doing much (seti and whatnot aside). now suppose the wife has a wireless mouse. suppose, now, software (screensaver-like thingy) is running on the computer so that when there is a slight movement of the mouse, it pops up, plays your favorite mp3 (or least favorite, if you want the poor guy to actually get up)
so, if the guy has a computer, he only needs to get a wireless mouse (or a long enough wire, perhaps would also work...) if he has that, then all he needs is this software, which i'm sure could be written by any number of people on here very easily and quickly.
--paul
I hate to be obvious ... (Score:2)
Or you could make some type of eye gesture recognition linux box thing ... hehehehe I think the whistle could even be gpl'd if you wanted it to be. hehehe ... speaking of gpl ... all ideas are officially free to the public ... hence why I posted them to a public forum ... clever monkey eh? :-)
Motion detector (Score:2)
Dunno about cheap but... (Score:2)
http://www.qualilife.com/products.cfm?cat_ID=11&l
OTOH, I am guessing you guys are well aware
of these options and are asking specifically
for a cheap alternative. That's much tougher.
Simple Solutions (Score:5, Interesting)
Some versions with cat-whisker actuators are also avaiable, just a bit of wire sticking straight up that you give a push in any direction. You can build something similar out of a couple of paper clips if you want REAL cheap.
You could add a latch/time circuit so you wouldn't have to keep the switch depressed, ie: a quick press would sound the alarm for some set period of time.
There are also preassembled photosensors with a light source and sensor and a gap between the two, stick a finger between them and it triggers, zero force required.
I've also seen the microswitch thing work as a blink/squint sensor. You stick the wire actuator to the skin above/below the eye and a good squint will trigger it.
One last idea, shine a low-power IR led at the corner of the eye, read the reflection brightness with a photocell. Now looking to that side causes the colored part of the eye to reduce the reflected light, triggering the sensor.
The biggest problem with running something off the eyebrow or eye look/blink is usually preventing it from going off by accident, or if the person goes to sleep.
There are also devices that actuate by sucking/blowing on a straw or pushing with the toung or chin...though these don't work so well if you're on a respirator.
Brainwaves (Score:2)
Football Coaster? (Score:2)
Completely different subject but... (Score:2)
When I read about people who are pretty much trapped in their bodies because of severe illnesses, I wonder what joys they have in their lives. I have a relative with MD and a good friend with MS. For both of them, a good portion of their life is spent with media. Watching TV, watching movies, reading books (although it is difficult unless there is a way to turn pages).
Which brings me to my point/question...why don't these people have simple and easy access to media? Doesn't their life seem filled with enough hardship? Shouldn't we as a society do something for them? If all they have left in their live is audio/visual stimulation, why can't they be free to enjoy it?
We, the society, give copyrights. So why can't we, the society, grant people like this a free pass to copyrighted works. What I'm saying is, why can't people who are unlucky enough to be born/develop these illnesses be given access to a society-sponsored "Universal Jukebox".
Is it really fair to ask these people to pay full price for works the same way people who can earn a wage and will be around 40-50 years to get a sufficient return on their payment? Is it really fair to ask these people to burden themselves or family with constant errands to get new media? Most likely, these people have their hands full with the daily care of the individuals.
At the same time, the creation of a giant Universal Jukebox would be a the ultimate glove to throw down in front of the media companies. How could they possibly protest? On what grounds could they possibly resist this cause?
I think that some Senator or Congressman should propose a law offering anyone "sufficiently incapable of supporting themselves" just this. And I think the law should provide for the infrastructure to build such a Universal Jukebox. We could start with the Library of Congress. Once the Universal Jukebox is there, we can then talk about what else we can do with it (expand this to include schools, libraries for starters).
But seriously...why couldn't it happen?
- JoeShmoe
.
Re:Completely different subject but... (Score:2)
My point is that we have absolutely zeo chance of getting this without a "poster child" to rally the cause. The media companies themselves can't even create such a system (witness the Pressplay/MusicNet/Napster mess). However, once the system is created, then suddenly it will dawn on the media companies they can charge for access and make a killing (which is historically what has happened for EVERY NEW TECHNOLOGY).
Oh, and what if this spawns several related technologies that revives the demand for telecommunications? Am I supposed to feel guilty if my stocks go up or I get a better job?
Maybe you forgot why we, the society, give TV and radio stations their free bandwidth and demand unencrypted over-the-air access.
- JoeShmoe
.
breath switch (Score:2, Informative)
Slider (Score:2)
- James
Complete the Circuit (Score:2)
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Electrical autonomy (Score:2)
without having read any other of the ideas... (Score:3, Insightful)
get one of the touchpad light switches. all they require is human contact to complete the circuit. No force required. Connect this to a FM transmitter that will send a signal to a device her husband can keep next to him to wake him up. The beauty of this is she can be anywhere within the transmission range and the husband can still be alerted. Plus they could have extra receivers if they wanted.
Eyemazing (Score:2)
A small IR laser and detector combo are mounted on an arm somewhere just above her normal field of vision. The IR laser is set to pulse in maybe 1/10th second internals. The reflection properties of her eyelids and sclera (the white part I believe) are going to be different from the pupil. Light at the right frequencies will bounce off the skin and sclera but pass through the pupil. A relatively simple logic chip can detect and count any changes in reflectivity.
The point of the device would be for her to star into the laser emitter (a very very very weak laser) for a number of seconds and an alarm buzzer would go off. It is something that will work light or dark and rely only on the movement of her eyes which as you said is about all the mobility she has right now. Staring at the little emitter for say 3 seconds would be enough to have the alarm sound until someone woke up and turned it off or checked to see what was the matter. As long as she can open her eyes and move them a little she would have the ability to signal for help. All these components could be purchased from Radio Shack. It is basically just a break-beam detection system with some subtle changes in functionality. You can learn just about everything you need to build such a system yourself from two books available at Radio Shack. THey're both Engineer's Mini Notebooks written by Forrest M. Mims III. The first is entitled "Electronic Sensor Circuits & Projects" and the second is "Timer, Op Amp & Optoelectronic Circuits & Projects".
In the Electronic Sensors books check out the pulsed beam projects on pages 132 and 133, they are in essence what I'm suggesting. In the Timer Op Amp book the dark activated alerter on page 65 would be another component in the system. The sensor housing could be attached to an arm held on her wheelchair or a headband or something so the sensor would remain pretty much out of her field of view but easy enough to focus on when she needed to. Even if this idea is retarded check out those two books from Radio Shack, they're easy as can be to understand and have a good number of projects you might be able to adapt in your own system or someone else's.
Touch activated alarm. (Score:2, Informative)
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/circ/alarm2.htm
Here's some more quick and easy circuit ideas... http://www.commlinx.com.au/schematics.htm
Slingshot armbrace? (Score:3, Interesting)
In either case you'll probably want to mount the device to her hand/arm so that her finger/wrist movement (whichever is still available) is always in range of the touch/light sensor. If you're doing it on the cheap, you might look around the sporting goods section of walmart (or a sports store like Oshmans or whatever) for mounting hardware. One thing that comes to mind is the professional-style slinghots that have a brace going back over the forearm, I'm sure there's lots more material to work from around there like medical wrist supports with the metal band that goes up under the wrist and whatnot.
If you're worried about your device failing on her, and both hands work - you could build two devices, mount one on each arm, and encourage her to alternate using them so she knows they both work. You could take redundancy a step further by making one of them light-based and the other touch-based, in case one or the other designs fails in some wierd circumstance.
Clarification (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Clarification (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Clarification (Score:2)
Re:Clarification (Score:2)
(I'm betting on Flamebait, Troll and Offtopic)
Did you guys read the story at all? (Score:2, Interesting)
I think you should get out your yellow pages and look under the "Accessability" section, and get in contact with some people that know what they're talking about. (Surely she's already got some specialized equipment for her condition so I'm sure this has already happened.)
Having said that, it makes an interesting Ask Slashdot, so here's my take. I like the puff/sip tube ideas, but if that isn't practical I would look into somehow signaling with eye movement or blinks. Again I'm sure they sell such things but since the question was how to do it on a shoestring budget (?!) I'll bite.
I would first find some sort of non-toxic paint that glows under a blacklight. A common yellow highligher would do, but there are others that glow with more contrast. Paint dots (or some other symbol) on the eyelids. Mount a small fluorescent blacklight somewhere near the headboard so that the dots glow brightly. Mount a cheap webcam somewhere in the line of sight of the wife. Now rig some software to recognise some pattern of blinks.
The idea is that if she is in trouble, she looks directly into the webcam (probably mounted on the ceiling, or otherwise in her line of sight) and blinks a pattern. The paint on the eyelids should provide enough contrast with the blacklight so that it's easy to signal process -- there would be high contrast with the rest of the scene, and the unique hue should be easy to spot. If she can open and close the eyelids fully (i.e., blink) it should provide a pretty good signal. The rest is dorking around with software and processing, but hey, this is Slashdot right?
Morse Code Buzzer... (Score:2)
The upside to this is that by actually learning morse code (presuming she is able to learn) she could actually communicate using this device.
Heart rate. (Score:2, Interesting)
Since she is *very* sedentary, her heart rate should be reasonably stable, within a small tolerence. The point is, it it possible to ones alter heart through thought process alone. As an example, if she starts to stress, it should rise. You could even set up the volume of a bell proportional to the magnitude of the rate, or the rate of change itself.
I'm thinking along the lines of those sensors they clip on a finger in hospital as a pickup, then a bit of signal processing. It's also the sort of thing you should be able to buy, instead of hacking together a cheap gadget.
Redundency.. (Score:2)
I'm assuming she can move both her hands minimally. So take two different working suggestions or ideas you come up with, and have them setup on both hands. This way if for some reason one of them fails, the other has a high chance of still working. Using two different ideas also increases the chances incase the reason the one isn't working is a defect that another one would also share. I'm assuming this isn't life-or-death is it?
There is alot of adaptive technology already there (Score:5, Informative)
Can she move her tounge? There are simple switching devices that can be placed in a person's mouth that can be tripped with a tounge movement.
Can she breathe (i.e. not on a ventilator). There are all kind of "sip-and-puff" devices out there that can generate several signals based on whether or not the person is sipping or blowing.
You said she can see, and has some eye movement. We have patients who are trained using eye gaze computers.
A search on google for adaptive devices, adaptive technology, a call to a local rehab hospital should all be able to provide you with information with regard to devices already available. Even if this person can't afford these things, it may give you ideas as to what you can build for her. I'm sorry I can't provide specific info, as our rehab staff/prosthetics department takes care of actual building and ordering.
When you work with people with a serious impairment, in a rehab setting, its truly remarkable what can be built/developed to take advantage of even the slightest behavior a person can elicit.
hth,
jeff
Use proven technology! (Score:4, Insightful)
I myself kinda think the idea of biofeedback is neat... but this isn't the time to experiment. Go to the experts and do what they say. Neither you nor the rest of Slashdot put together can possibly match the experiences of the entire community built around supporting these people.
On a more prosaic note, I would be very deeply concerned about the potential legal liability of creating your own solution to this problem. You may find that your best friends are ir(?)rational enough to sue for damages if your homegrown device fails. (On reflection, perhaps that would be perfectly rational behavior, for some definitions of rational. Surprisingly deep philosophical question.)
Re:Use proven technology! (Score:3, Insightful)
On the other hand, I'm assuming the requirements are not the poster's, but the husband's. Maybe he needs something cheap because he cannot afford the fancy equipment. Not everybody is insured.
pressure-sensitive mouse "pad" (Score:2, Interesting)
Rubbing your finger on these things, even lightly, causes a mouse to move, and tapping the pad is like clicking the left button.
I seem to recall the sensitivity can be set very high, so you wouldn't need much motion or pressure.
Good luck.
Cheers...
no-motor-skill-required solution (Score:2)
premise: the motor skill will dwindle from even today, to un-measureabe values in the future. i suspect this will eventually affect her ability to press buttons, let alone speak / make noise, maybe even move her eyes.
the only solution left, then is:
1) the easy way out: hire a nurse. i mean... really now. taking care of an ALS patient is not something just one husband is capable of.
2) the geeky way. wire up a brain signal detector that she would wear at night, or, if you can tune a *really* sensitive antenna, it can be mounted at the top of the bed. while her motor skill is not completely gone, let her train to think of a pattern and allow the computer to capture this data, match it, and sound an alarm / buzz / cattle prod connected to the husband's you-know-what (if he is a heavy sleeper).
this will probabbly work better than "low pressure buttons" and what not. reliability may become an issue, but if programmed correctly it should be sufficiently reliable that it's not a big problem.
p.s. an easier version of this is a blood pressure detector -- when people want something (her to wake up her husband) and cannot get it, the blood pressure inevitably rises, and that pattern too can be used to trip a switch.
there will be false alarms, though... REM sleep is quite full of challenges. but hey, if you can't / don't want to hire a nurse, and she can't do nothing...
last point. camera (infrared, prefabbly) can be connected to look at her eyes. alarm only trips if they are open. (or trip an alarm if she blinks a certain pattern, whatever. but our premesis is that she can't do much of that either... so...
the possibilities are out there. just gotta find 'em
This should be left to AT Speech Therapists (Score:2, Interesting)
My wife is a Speech & Language Pathologist who is also a Assistive Technology Practitioner. This basically means she is certified in AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) & AT (Assistive Technology). This problem is the very thing covered by this field. They work with anyone who's verbal communication skills are lacking for what ever reason, no matter the physical or cognitive handicap.
I've seen the devices created for such problems both with children and the elderly. It usually involves foam, some wires and a battery operated device. Simple, easy to use and just as important, cheap. Many of the suggestions posted thus far have been over engineered.
Now, on the tech side of things. This profession could use some help with small devices (PDA size) and a free OS (you choose). There is a device on the market that allows a patient to select pictures to form sentences (or phrases). Currently they are in the thousands of dollars and insurances don't always cover the cost. Typically for children the parents sue the school district and the district is forced to make the purchase with next year's funds (read: higher taxes). It would be nice if cheaper alternatives were available.
Another ALS Sufferer (Score:2, Interesting)
Remote contact (Score:2)
Hook up a touch or contact switch (this has already been mentioned to death in here) to some sort of wireless remote. The receiver can then be worn by the husband allowing contact while not physically in the room. At night the husband can put it on a bedside table or something.
Better is to use a pair of (cheap) walkie talkies, that have a morse code option. This still allows the husband mobility, and he can actually respond to his wife without being physically present. This can allow some very simple but effective "Yes, No, I don't know, Help" conversations, as the husband can ask questions, while say, doing stuff in the back yard or garage, and can easily respond to allieve his wife's fears (eg: "I'll be there in a minute", "I'm coming!", etc). The only issue might be one of frequency use (by kids and so on), but you could always go to some of the commerical variants that have their own band/use digital transmission to avoid interference, or maybe modify the walkie talkies to use a different frenquency.
If you give her 3 or 4 touch sensors, then she can (technically) type easily. Remember how you enter your name in a video arcade game? Exactly the same idea. You could also use multiple buttons to scroll between pre-canned answers or words, such as "drink", "help", etc. You could even combine this with some sort of voice synthesis program to generate speech. And there is no reason you couldn't integrate this with the walkie talkie idea, so that she and her husband can communicate over a distance. Hell, she could send SMS's this way, use a phone, or even web browse, use e-mail or perhaps IRC. Might help her relieve some of the (potential) boredom in her life, that being so limtied in mobility would probably create. There are a number of easy ways to interface input into a PC, such as the joystick, parallel or serial ports, and lots of documentation. There are also a fairly large number of devices that will convert serial input into PS/2 keyboard or USB keyboard input, which allows use of a PC in a somewhat normal manner.
If you do go for something complicated (eg: a PC System), ALWAYS have a backup (preferrably battery operated) like the walkie talkie idea. Systems fail, the power goes off, etc, and the last thing you want is it to fail when she needs it most.
Good luck!
Two ideas (Score:2)
First idea - a induction switch, like some lamps have. You tap the metal of the lamp, and it turns on or off. In this case, it could be a metal plate that she just touches. Her body triggers the switch, and it's perfectly safe if built correctly (which is easy). It's a typical electronics projects for kids - I built a few, back when I was building crystal radios and the like.
Second, a motion sensor from X10 mounted in a box that she merely has to pass her hand though. They operate off of lithium CR320? batteries (I don't recall them off the top of my head - the standard kind), and will run off the battery for quite a long time. When triggered, they can perform any action in the X10 system, including set off an X10 alarm, dial out, or if hooked up to a computer, peform any action the computer can do.
The nice thing about the latter solution is that you can do it with three pieces of cheap off the shelf equipment, probably for under $40 (much less without the dialout module). Otherwise, the first is the best - a simple tap of her skin to the plate triggers a switch, no pressure or significant motion is required.
--
Evan (no reference - must get back to work now)
This is probably too far down to make a difference (Score:2, Informative)
(By the way, Bernie, rest in peace. Bernie Bourdon was the man who made the place possible.)
The simplest device is a stick on a fulcrum, hung vertically. On the bottom end, tie a string, and tie that string to her bell. Her one inch of hand movement should easily be able to actuate it.
Going more high-tech, get a joystick (The old-school analog 2-button Commodore 64 kind. You can find them all over the place and Radio Shack may even still carry them) and use all direction sensors on the thing as a switch to close a circuit on a noisemaker.
Just remember to check the batteries.
Sensor ideas (Score:5, Informative)
Touch (Capactive switches)
Beam (light, ultrasound, IR triggers)
Magentic (Reed switches)
Tilt (Mercury switches)
I'll only touch on Magnetic and Tilt switches, as the others have adequately been covered by a number of people.
Magnetic switches are easily and cheaply bought anywhere you can get house alarm parts. They are very simple, last a lifetime, and work really well. Using a tiny magnet strapped to a finger allows you to use a number of reed switches so there is a choice of "what to do".
Tilt switches are easily worn on the finger, or on the head. Some care must be taken to encase the deadly mercury as the glass container may be easily broken, and mercury is poisonous. The way I would encase such switches would be by first finding a glue that is capable of sticking to GLASS and plastic, and coating the glass covered mercury switch in it. This way, if the glass cracks, the pieces will usually stay together. Let it dry, then dip it in hot plastic a number of times. You can then put it inside a piece of dense foam rubber (use a glue that sticks to rubber and plastic to keep it in place). The goal is that if you accidently stand on it, it won't break.
I've used both methods before to provide something that a disabled child can use, usually to encourage them to make some sort of movement. One Example: Mercury tilt sensor attached to a head strap with velcro (for position adjustment), to encourage the child to 'lift' their head (helps build up the neck muscles and train the brain). The mercury switch was usually wired into a radio or tape deck, switching it on or off. It also provided some real insight into what sort of music some of the kids liked, as after a little training, they would drop their head when something they didn't like would come on, and then every now and then raise their head to "check" what was playing now.
Good luck.
Tilt switch (Score:2)
SD
Nikon F5 (Score:2)
She could learn Morse code (a good idea for someone who may lose the ability to speak even if you don't build this thing), and use the computer to decode to speech, perhaps even control the computer at some point.
Your friend w/ALS (Score:2)
I just ask because I had an uncle that died of ALS, a number of years ago. His condition deteriorated very rapidly, unfortunately. He started off complaining of some numbing in his arms and legs. Before long, he was having trouble walking and struggled to drive. His work tried to offer some assistance, but it was only a matter of months before he couldn't even get out of bed - and finally, he simply stopped breathing.
There was no history of ALS or anything similar in his family. The only suspicious factor is that he worked as a chemist at DuPont. There's no telling what he might have come into contact with that could have triggered the condition....
Rethink the button. (Score:2)
Whistle (Score:2)
Can she control her breathing?
If so, some sort of a whistle pressed into the nostril, perhaps fitted with a silicon mold (places that do custom ear plugs or hearing aids could probably do this) would seem cheap and natural. Then she only need blow to rouse her husband.
Err, correction. no buttons (Score:2)
Re:Err, correction. no buttons (Score:3)
-inco
Touch lamp. (Score:3, Interesting)
1. touch lamp technology.
2. motion detector.
3. interrupting the path of a lazer.
4. galvonic (sp?)response, skin voltage detector.
Re:ALS is not a fatal disease... WRONG (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:ALS is not a fatal disease... WRONG (Score:2)
At least that's what I saw in a program about him.