First let me say that I have no affiliation with this product,
nor, Thank God, do I have any need of it yet. My typing
skills seem to be holding quite well, thank you very much!
The purpose of me emailing this information is for anyone
who might need such a piece of software, or know someone
who does.
I read this in the Jan.5, 1998 Miami Herald ,and it is copyrighted
in 1997, by "The Providence Journal-Bulletin". I intend to
phone the Providence Journal-Bulletin next Wed. when I
return to work at the library, and see if they will grant me
permission to post Brian Dickinson's complete column.
Brian Dickinson was stricken with Lou Gehrig's disease in 1992,
by 1997 only his eyes could move, he discusses other software he
used when he could manipulate at least one finger. But this Eyegaze
system, which the Providence Journal-Bulliten bought for him and connected
to their main computer at the newspaper ,allows him to continue to write.
He's also hooked up to the Internet, does email, does research , and he
says, in general he stays usefully occupied.
Also, Brian makes me completely ashamed of myself when I get to
wondering if I have the strength to continue working, and I say a silent
prayer that I only have PD and not Lou Gehrig's disease.
EYEGAZE SYSTEM:
"The Eyegaze system is based on the principle that eye movements can be
tracked with enough precision to give a computer an exact reading of where
on a computer screen a user is looking. The screen is divided into an
illuminated grid of squares that resemble a typical keyboard. A pinpoint
infrared light source, mounted in front of the lens and aimed at the user's
dominant eye, enables the camera to track the eye's movements precisely.
It photographs the eye 30 times a second as a user glances from letter to
letter in the process of spelling a word. Software, in the computer
"reads" the letter image where the eye is looking, and converts that
information into an electrical impulse that causes the designated letter to
pop into position on the screen's blank upper portion.
Its inventors are Dixon Cleveland and Joseph Lahoud, and they started LC
Technologies, Inc. to market this device.
If anyone wants more information on this software, please contact your
local library and ask them to do a business search on the company.
If you do not have a library in your city, or you are one of our overseas
members, but need this information, please contact me by private
email and I'll see that it is sent to you.
As Ever,
Marjorie Moorefield
just another librarian with PD
65/9
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