Page 151 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

Giving Voice to People with Disabilities
When his father was diagnosed with a debilitating A new mobile communication
disease a few years ago, it sparked Ivo Vieira into
developing a novel means of communication for people system based in augmented
coping with extreme limitations, building on visualization reality that has been developed for
tools originally explored to help ESA astronauts in
space. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other forms astronauts gives disabled people
of motor neurone disease gradually rob sufferers of their back their independence and
muscular function, including the ability to communicate
verbally. However, eye movement presents an human right to communicate freely.
opportunity because it usually remains unimpaired.
Astronauts have only relatively rudimentary systems
available during spacewalks, with only a written
checklist and voice communications. A new mobile
communication system based in augmented reality This is the first such device that is stand-alone and
that has been developed for astronauts gives disabled can be used in any location and physical position,
people back their independence and human right to regardless of the orientation of the wearer’s head.
communicate freely. This ESA effort led LusoSpace
to produce its first pair of augmented reality glasses in EyeSpeak is a direct spin-off from the work LusoSpace
2008, and to develop them for motor-impaired patients. did for an ESA study on visualization tools for

Testing eye tracking.
Image credit: LusoVu

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