Collaborate Disseminate
As part of a research effort looking into automated and hands-free charging solutions for electric vehicle drivers and autonomous EVs, Ford has started testing a prototype robot charging station aimed at making the top-up process easier for folks with … Continue reading Ford’s robotic EV charger designed to help disabled drivers plug in
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a lightweight, wearable textile exomuscle that uses sensors embedded in its fabric to detect a user’s movement intentions and chip in extra force as needed. Initial tests show a significant boost in endurance.Co… Continue reading Wearable muscles offer an impressive upper-body endurance boost
North Carolina company Outrider USA has launched what it claims is the lightest production 4×4 ever. The new Cougar is an all-electric, single-seat off-road vehicle designed to put outdoor adventures back on the menu for people with reduced mobility.Co… Continue reading “World’s lightest 4×4” gets disabled folk back to the great outdoors
Using your eyes to control a computer or laptop might sound like a great way to free up your hands and boost productivity, but for disabled users it could open the door to an online world many of us take for granted. Sweden’s Tobii Dynavox has now brou… Continue reading Tobii gives disabled users the power to control iPads with their eyes
A ukulele is a great instrument to pick to learn to play music. It’s easy to hold, has a smaller number of strings than a guitar, is fretted unlike a …read more Continue reading Don’t Fret Over the Ukulele
For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, it can be difficult to pick out important sounds, such as a knock at the door or a fire alarm. Now researchers at the University of Washington have developed a smartwatch system called SoundWatch, which ident… Continue reading SoundWatch alerts deaf and hard-of-hearing people to important sounds
Take a second to imagine all the people in your life. Your family, friends, coworkers. Your buddies down at the hackerspace, and anyone you chat with on IO and over the airwaves. Statistically speaking, one in four of these people has a disability of some kind, and needs help doing …read more
Continue reading Hackaday Prize and UCPLA Are Driving Assistive Technology Forward
If your eyes are 20/20, you probably do not spend much time thinking about prescription eyeglasses. It is easy to overlook that sort of thing, and we will not blame you. When we found this creation, it was over two years old, but we had not seen anything quite like it. The essence of the Bear Paw Assistive Eating Aid is a swiveling magnet atop a suction cup base. Simple right? You may already be thinking about how you could build or model that up in a weekend, and it would not be a big deal. The question is, could …read more
Continue reading Overlooked Minimalism in Assistive Technology
An outstanding number of things most people take for granted present enormous hurdles for people with physical disabilities, including interaction with computers and other digital resources. Assistive technologies such as adaptive switches allow users who cannot use conventional buttons or other input devices to interact with digital devices, and while there are commercial offerings there is still plenty of room for projects like [Cassio Batista]’s DIY Low-cost Assistive Technology Switches.
[Cassio]’s project focuses on non-contact switches, such as proximity and puff-based activations. These are economical, DIY options aimed at improving accessibility for people who are unable to physically push even …read more
Continue reading DIY Switches For People Who Can’t Push Switches
Using the face and body of a disabled person to sell a product designed without their input is precisely the issue. Continue reading ‘Accessible’ Fashion Lines Have a Disability Problem