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I wonder if this has been applied to the blind and deaf population??? How long is the battery life of the device?? Has anyone ever heard of a device that can be interfaced with the battery on an electric wheelchair at an affordable price with speech recognition, weather proof, lightweight, handsfree, and free upgrades. Insurance doesn't cover communication devices easily and funding sometimes takes up to a year. Making these devices attractive to the non handicapped population will make the devices more affordable and advance technology much quicker than if they were only for the handicapped population. I read the Xybernaut kids page and was glad to see the device was more significantly more affordable (5K) than they used to be. However, 2k would be nice:) (hint). P.T.. can help with visual cues in therapy. Xybernauts allows a person to carryover what is learned in therapy into a functional setting without the possible bruises or falls. nancy m aka angel and ds401 (pirch/parkinsons site of years ago) Linda J Herman wrote: >Interesting new technology. >Also PIEN "old-timers" - remember Dietmar Wessel was a list member some >years ago - is the Europark representative to the PARRHEA project >(*see below) > > FROM: Business Wire > February 27, 2003, Thursday > >HEADLINE: Xybernaut Wearable Computers Assist Individuals with >Parkinson's > Disease; PARREHA Program Achieves Remarkable Gains in Walking, >Situational > Awareness and Coordination > >DATELINE: FAIRFAX, Va., Feb. 27, 2003 > >" Xybernaut Corporation (NASDAQ:XYBR), a leader in the wearable >computer > industry, today announced that its wearable computing solutions are >helping > Parkinson's Disease sufferers gain significant improvements in >coordination, > mobility (particularly walking), awareness and lifestyle. > > These results were achieved during multinational programs conducted by >teams > of experts from academia, clinical medicine, government and commercial > organizations to determine how mobile computing technologies could >benefit > Parkinson's sufferers. > > Participant-organizations include Xybernaut and members of the PARREHA > Consortium (http:/www.parreha.com) -- an organization founded by >Parkinson's > researchers from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United >Kingdom. > The PARREHA Project is led by Oxford Computer Consultants Ltd. (UK) with > participation by 7 companies and organizations such as Europark -- a >PARREHA > Project group based in Germany. > > The structured program has been evolving over the past three years. >The > initial phase was to determine which advanced computing technologies >could offer > benefits to Parkinson's disease patients. Evaluations concentrated on > improvements in coordination and lifestyle quality. Subsequent phases >are > concentrating on the joint program's main goal -- helping sufferers by > identifying and prioritizing best practices in applying mobile >technologies in > the fight against Parkinson's. Significant results have been attained in > assisting Parkinson's patients with coordination and mobility -- >particularly > standing, sitting and walking. > > Initially, the program utilized laptop computers. The program >coordinators > quickly realized laptops were too cumbersome and actually impeded the >mobility > of the PD users. Searching for better alternative computing platforms, >the > PARREHA teams discovered Xybernaut, purchased five of the Company's >Mobile > Assistant wearable computers and decided to conduct its subsequent >clinical > evaluations using Xybernaut wearable computers. > > "The fact that Xybernaut technologies are actually designed to be worn >by the > user, made them a much more flexible computing solutions," stated Dr. >Reynold > Greenlaw, Oxford Computer Consultants Ltd. "Combine this increased >usability > with the MA's full PC computing capabilities and we realized that >Xybernaut > wearable computers offered a much more sophisticated, more flexible and >more > powerful foundation from which to continue our ongoing efforts to assist >these > patients." > > Studies by the Miami-based National Parkinson Foundation report that >more > than 1.5 million Americans suffer from the disease, which includes 10 >percent of > all Americans over 60(1). Separately, PARREHA Project research shows >that nearly > 200,000 Germans have Parkinson's disease. The Consortium believes that a >large > percentage of this population can benefit from the use of wearable >computing > solutions. > > Clinical research shows that certain types of visual information (also > referred to as visual cues), when combined with human sensory data, >greatly > enhanced patients' coordination while walking. Acting on this previous >data, > PERREHA created software programs designed to overlay electronic visual >cues > with human sensory data. > > These applications, when combined with Xybernaut wearable computers >and > presented to patients using Xybernaut head mounted display (HMD) >technologies, > greatly enhanced patients' awareness, motor skills and coordination -- > specifically related to walking. To-date, this integrated wearable >computing > solution has been utilized for approximately one year with compelling >results. > PERREHA has now begun presenting its results to medical and scientific > communities. > > "The ability to blend actual sensory information with meaningful >computer > data is critical to helping Parkinson's patients. This benefit is >enhanced > further if the integrated information can be presented to the user while >he or > she is out-and-about during their daily routine," stated Dr. Edwin Vogt >chief > research and development officer for Xybernaut and director of the >Company's > University Programs. "Enhanced situational awareness, whether it be in >medical > applications such as the PERREHA program or the many military programs >in which > we are involved, is clearly a critical capability," added Vogt. > > ** "Xybernaut unique wearable computing products offer true mobility >and are > manufactured to operate with the majority of industry-standard >applications," > added Dietmar Wessel, PARREHA representative for Europark. "Our belief >is that > this type of computing solution will greatly enhance the quality of life >for > Parkinson's patients." > > Xybernaut University Programs have grown quickly in recent years as >wearable > technologies continue to become more integral components of enterprise > computing. At this time, more than 46 separate universities are >conducting more > than 100 programs in North America, Europe and SE Asia/Pacific Rim. > > Xybernaut University Programs are designed to allow participants to be >on the > cutting edge of practical technology while providing Xybernaut revenue > opportunities in both the near and long-term. Academic institutions >and/or > tenured individuals interested in the Xybernaut university program >should > contact Xybernaut at [log in to unmask] > > (1) Mitchell SL, Kiely DK, Kiel DP, Lipsitz LA; The epidemiology, >clinical > characteristics, and natural history of older nursing home residents >with a > diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease, Journal of Geriatrics, 1996; 44: >394-9. > > About Xybernaut > > Xybernaut Corporation is an established provider of wearable/mobile >computing > hardware, software and services, bringing communications and >full-function > computing power in a hands-free design to people when and where they >need it. > Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, Xybernaut has offices and >subsidiaries in > Europe (Germany) and Asia (Japan). Xybernaut's Web site is at >www.xybernaut.com. > > CONTACT: Xybernaut Corporation > Michael Binko, 703/631-6925 > [log in to unmask] > > URL: http://www.businesswire.com > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] >In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn