The Two Adaptive Mice; Describe an Environmental Control System

Adaptive technology makes it possible for people with disabilities to exercise control over their home and work environments.  Wheelchairs for example, are developed that not only help move people around, but also climb stairs and allow them to reach a high shelf. Evoluent Vertical Mouse 2 is a standard horizontal mouse requires your forearm to twist away from its natural position. The Evoluent Vertical Mouse 2 has a shape that supports your hand in a relaxed handshake position and eliminates forearm twisting, providing superior comfort. No Hands Foot Mouse is a mouse that you operate with your feet. The system utilizes two interchangeable foot pedals. One pedal features a 360-degree pressure-sensitive mechanism, allowing the user to control both cursor speed and direction with one foot, while the other pedal is used as a clicking device. Others such as head mouse allow users to move the cursor according their head’s motion. Puff straws allow people to control the mouse with their mouths. Some computers allow input through eye movement. Some eye input systems do not require the user to stare at letter after letter, but allow the eye to move down a column of letter and stop on one. The chosen letter floats on the screen, and the software predicts the next most likely letters. The environmental control systems helped physically challenged people control their environments. Speech recognition technology, for example, can be used in the home to control appliances. Butler-in-a-Box has been made by Mastervoice since 1986. It not only understands and obeys voice commands, but also responds in a human voice manner. EADLs can be used in a variety of settings, such as home, office, classroom, or health care center. EADLs offer the benefits of improved quality of life, reduced energy expenditure, increased vocational opportunities, positive psychosocial impact, and increased independence. EADLs can be adapted for control by any individual, as long as that person can perform a consistent voluntary action. EADLs range from relatively simple (i.e., controlling one device) to very complex (i.e., controlling twenty devices with hundreds of functions).