Scott Back to Work

This is an assistive technology system to provide environmental control to a functional quadriplegic. Cybermation was asked to integrate the client's current home electronics, automate existing equipment and add the necessary control systems to enable a high level of control of his apartment, and also provide the necessary functionality to enable him to return to work.
Challenges included how to control an existing Invacare bed, to use the existing Stanley door opener, how to enable the client to remotely activatte the apartment front door locking mechanism, and to make this all transferable from bed to wheelchair and back easily for personal care assistants.
Our equipment included an Elan GSC10 g! controller, Lutron RadioRA with dimmer switches and plug in modules, Panamax Power Conditioning, Engenious Router, Tetramouse "Quadmouse" programmable tongue/lip controlled mouse, Broadened Horizon "3rd Arm" mounting hardware, RoboArm articulating mount with quick couplers for ease-of-transfer, Toshiba 15" laptop with solid state hard drive, Dragon Naturally Speaking control/text-to-speech software, high-sensitivity mountable USB microphone, and an array of custom made hardware specced by us and built by Theisen Design & Manufacturing.
We disassembled the bed controller to determine contact points to solder wires to provide contact closure control through the g! controller for the bed. We obtained wiring diagrams of the Stanley door opener/lock mechanism to determine how to do the same.
Beyond the hardware, we deduced what could be controlled via the Elan system, through conventional browser software, and finally where text-to-speech could be used to provide a system robust enough to enable the client to operate the computer in a work environment sufficient for gainful employment in a career field of his desires.

Scope1: Allow the client to function more independently at home, including: the ability to activate a front door of an apartment building via a phone touchtones, control lighting, automate an existing Stanley door opener, control an Invacare bed, to control existing AV gear in the living room and bedroom.
The level of care provided through county assistance did not include any personal care from late afternoon to the next morning. Hence, whatever setting the lights, TV, cable box, bed, etc. were at when staff left in the afternoon was what the client had to live with until the next morning. The client wanted to be able to control the cable box, volume, on/off, DVD, lights, adjust bed for sleeping, and be able to communicate with the outside world (phone) and allow guests to visit him by conversing via the apartment intercom and allow access to his place.

Scope2: The client had a sincere desire to return to work. He has an accessible van, but as a former tree trimmer, had no real computer skills or access to training. Hence, the computer technology needed to be able to transfer from bed to wheelchair and be able to operate during the day for vocational rehabilitation to return to work.

A qualitative challenge was to provide a system with sufficient benefit to motivate and attract the client to the system. He has been wheelchair-bound and living a life with limited environmental control for 17 years. An additional detrimental psychological affect was an amputation of his leg about 4 years ago. The client has limited function/movement in his arm and can use a knuckle to touch a screen, so the opportunity existed to also provide him with the ability to sit at a desk to operate software from touch as well as text-to-speech/voice control.

Physically and aesthetically, we put all of our equipment on the same shelving that held the cable box, DVD player and surround sound equipment in the living room. Due to the requirement of "reasonable accommodation" and adhering to the policy of the landlord, we used color-matching conduit to run the wiring to the front door opener, and the required wiring between the living room and bedroom were able to be concealed.
Quality of life improvements were exponential. The first and foremost deliverable was HOPE -- hope that he could live alone (with appropriate visiting caregiving staff), that he would have control of his environment, and that could work on a path to return-to-work.
Considering that half his life is actually spent in bed, to be able to control his AV gear, bed, lighting, to be able to call and receive a call, to allow visitors, are priceless improvements normally taken for granted, but are new opportunities for this client.
The ability to navigate the screen with the mouth-mouse was a bit slow at first but is ever-improving. The mouse has four speed settings, so we continue to work with him as he becomes more proficient. The Elan g! system screen controls are fully customizable, so we have initially created large buttons for bed and door control, and will likely undergo changes as we add functionality and his skill increases.
Dragon software provides a very easy way to interface to much of the software via speech. Training was required to both teach the control vocabulary to the client as well as to get high speech recognition rates. Google's softwares provide a great deal of easy-to-use browser-based software.
No written documentation was provided or necessary for the client.

"This is really cool - Tom has totally changed my life with regard to sleeping and the time I spend in my bedroom from when the PCAs leave and someone comes the next day. You can't begin to realize what it means to be able to control things from my bed when no one is around. Plus, I can now communicate with people when no one is around by using Google Voice, and let them into the apartment.

It's different taking a look at a new job that is nothing like what I have done in the past. A lot of years have passed since I have worked, but this process of finding a new career and learning how to work through a computer is changing my life. I'm kind of uncertain as to how this is going to all work out, but a few months back I never would have been able to even think about it.

I have to tell you, I think my family finds this as important as I find it. in fact, they were the ones that started the idea of me having this system.