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Presenter(s)
Tetsuya KOJIMA (1)
Hideo ITOH (2)
Takamitsu AOKI (3)
Masashi MORIOKA (4)
(1) Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan.
Email: kojimax@gipnc.shinshu-u.ac.jp
(2) Hiroshima International University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Email: h-itoh@he.hirokoku-u.ac.jp
(3) Ueda Special School for Children with Disabilities, Nagano, Japan.
Email: takaaoki@avis.ne.jp
4) NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Kanagawa, Japan.
Email: morioka@cet.yrp.nttdocomo.co.jp
Abstract
This paper presents the authors' collaborative research that primarily intends to develop a Web-based communication aid system for graphic symbol users with little or no speech. This system enables users to access the Web server from any locations or terminal devices, and to customize their personal communication aids for online or offline use. To provide flexible access, the client software works on mobile devices, such as a tablet PC and a PDA, with a wireless communication card. This paper will report a recent study to examine accessibility of these mobile devices for users with a variety of AAC needs. Their access pattern in terms of time and place, and the content of communicative interactions were observed at home, school, hospital and/or outdoor environments. Also presented is a feasibility study that intends to develop and propose a prototype of mobile phone as a more flexible and personal communication aid for graphic symbol users.
A Web-based Communication Aid System This system, named PICOTonWeb (POW), has two characteristic features that have never been realized in any other voice-output communication aids currently available.[1][2][3] First, POW's main program and data are stored in a Web server which users can access with a Web browser at home, school, hospital, or other locations. [4] [See Fig.1]
Fig.1 Overview of POW system.
To create the user's personal aid, data in POW are processed by the following procedures: [See Fig.2]
(1) Generate an HTML Web page by CGI(scripted by Perl) referring to the user's data;
(2) Download a data set of graphic symbols and messages from the library; and,
(3) Present graphic symbols and produce voice output messages using Java Applet.
Fig.2 Data Flow of POW system.
Second, POW contains a rich database of graphic symbols and natural voices in its library. [5] It enables users to customize their own displays with a specific set of symbols being matched to their communication needs. [See Fig.3] Based on the review of widely known and used graphic symbol sets in Japan (e.g., PIC, PCS, Makaton) and other sources, over 1,500 items have been selected as the basic vocabulary of POW. For each vocabulary item, different sets of graphic symbols (4 levels of abstractness) and natural voices (2 classes of age and sex) are under development to be registered to the library. To provide flexible access, the client software works on mobile devices, such as a tablet PC and a PDA, with a wireless communication card.
Fig.3 A Sample Display of POW with Graphic Symbols.
A Mobile Phone-based Communication Aid Prototype
Along with the current innovation of information technology, multimedia functions of a mobile phone have been noticed to take a promising role in AAC and AT in near future. [6] It is surely reasonable to say that a mobile phone could be an effective communication tool for nonspeaking individuals such as POW's clients. As a feasibility study of the present research, a prototype of communication aid for graphic symbol users was developed on a JAVA-enabled mobile phone. [See Fig.4] To realize more flexible and personal access, additional APIs were implemented to the platform mobile phone. Characteristic features of APIs are as follows:
(1) Touch screen API to realize intuitive operation on the liquid crystal display.
(2) External memory API to handle a large amount of symbols and other data.
(3) Voice record API to record spoken messages.
FIG. 4. Mobile Phone-based Communication Aid Prototype. Platform mobile phone(Left), and function menu display on touch screen(Right).
Over 600 symbols and voices of POW were imported to the prototype as its built-in data library. Main functions of the prototype include face-to-face communication, telecommunication via mail, address book, and time scheduler, each of which users can easily get access from a menu display with graphic symbols.
Conclusion
In recent years, a number of resources related to the information technology for AAC have been available. Although still being on its preliminary stage of development, our POW system and a prototype of mobile phone-based communication aid would be likely to provide graphic symbol users with flexible accessibility and a powerful AAC prosthesis.
References
[1] Fusegi, Y., Haniuda, T., Izawa, Y., Kojima, T., and Aoki, T. (2002) Development of Web-based Voice-output Communication Aid System: Specifications and Functions. Proceedings of Shinetsu Branch Conv., IEICE Japan, 325-326. [in Japanese]
[2] Uemura, K., Tsuda, A., Izawa, Y., Kojima, T., and Aoki, T. (2003) A Web-based Communication Aid System Usable by Various Clients Including PDAs. Proceedings of Com. Soc. Conv., IEICE Japan, 502. [in Japanese]
[3] Kojima, T., Aoki, T., Izawa, Y., Ito, E., and Itoh, H.(2004) Development of Voice-output Communication Aid System on Web. Paper to be presented at the 11th Biennial Conference of International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (Natal, Brazil).
[4] http://picot.cs.shinshu-u.ac.jp
[5] Aoki, T., Kojima, T., and Izawa, Y.(2004) Development of Web-based Voice-output Communication Aid System: POW's Library of Graphic Symbols. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of Japanese Association of Communication Disorders, 87. [in Japanese]
[6] Iwabuchi, M., Nakamura, K., Burgstahler, S., Dawden, P., and Alm, N.(2004) A Multimedia Cellular Phone-based Intermediary System for Communication Difficulties. Paper presented at the 19th Annual International Conference "Technology and Persons with Disabilities" (Los Angeles, USA).
Notes
(1) This research is a collaboration with the authors and the other members as follows: Hirohiko TAKEUCHI at Nagano Prefectural Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled, Nagano, Yuji IZAWA at Shinshu University, Nagano, Ichiro FUJISAWA, Yukiya MIYASHITA, Taku ONODERA, and Katsuhiro OHNO at NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Kanagawa, Japan.
(2) This research is supported in part by Grant 15300197 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan.
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