User blog

Hi,
after lots of tries the Lego Cargo Train Project was bit of success.
It took some research because Lego is using a modern infra red protocol, so it was not straight-forward to read/learn the infrared into the Mytobii like the remote control of tv. The latest version of Viking software is required too. The infrared transmitter we have is a separate component from GEWA.

Now, Gerben can start the train from zero to full speed with three ‘buttons’. Reverse is only one button, and of course there is a ‘STOP’ button.
Lego has a horn also on the remote control: I just downloaded some train sound from the internet and put that one behind the ‘Horn’ button.

This implementation is less sophisticated than the original Lego control. In the original control speeding up from one to seven is done by pressing the ‘forward’ button again and again. Slowing down can be done in steps too, pressing the ‘backward’ button. Pressing ‘backward’ when the train stands still makes the train moving backward, step by step, also to max 7 speeds.
The Mytobii version just starts the train and speeds up to 3, the ‘faster’ button speeds up to 5, and ‘Very Fast’ moves up to 7. Stop just stops the train in whatever speed it is. ‘Backward’ speeds backward till speed 3, no more. For Gerben, this works fine!
Lego has possiblity to select 3 separate ‘channels’: this version uses channel 1.

For those interested, sent me an email and I will sent the ‘page’ to you.

Peter

We’re looking for a switch my son can use to trigger a ‘click’ instead of holding his gaze for two seconds. He can make a reliable clucking sound with his tongue, so I thought a sound activated switch would work well.

Does anyone know of an external hardware sound activated switch and how it would hook up to myTobii?

Or a software based switch (and we’d plug a mic into the myTobii)?

Thanks,

Geoffrey and Joschi

to be in a physical condition that makes buying and using an eyegaze computer both necessary and reasonable is to live a life in hell. i think we can all admit that. i, for one, have ALS. there are those of you out there with spinal-cord injuries and other catastrophic circumstances. i think of all of you and pray for all of you all of the time.
for hardware and software engineers to create such incredible and enabling machines is testament to how deep human empathy for one another can flow. i would like to personally thank every single person who ever contributed to the design and production of this computer.
however, as wonderful as the software and the built-in cameras are, i feel that i must comment on the choice of the standard computing platform that the P10 is built upon. Intel celeron processors have always been “entry-level” products. even Intel themselves admit that every generation of celerons have been designed and marketed with that idea in mind. at a cost of over $17,000.00 USD, there should be absolutely NOTHING “entry-level” about the P10! software upgrades in the future may well be impossible. what then? that brings me to the real problem i am faced with. i don’t know about any of you, but my P10 has an integrated mono sound-producing chipset instead of an actual sound card. it is barely capable of delivering the synthesized “voice” that we’ve all come to rely upon, let alone delivering the music that i know helps every single one of us deal with our lives from one day to the next. sure, this is a “speech generating device”, and we all know what that means, but c’mon guys (at tobii & the us govt), do we not deserve a simple, fully-functioning stereo sound card??; one that we can plug our external speakers into?? is that too much to expect?? the difference in cost would be about $40.00 USD. it is an obvious and foregone conclusion that the P10 is designed to replace completely any computer that a patient currently uses and even the most basic of those systems (you know – the ones with the celeron processors) came with real sound cards. i wanted the D10 model but was told that it had been discontinued. so much for thinking i had all the necessary information.

Hi, my name is Jikke.
I live in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
I subscribed on this community because I’m teaching a young man, Ismail, using his MyTobii. Ismail is 29 years old. Like the rest of you he can use (only) his eyes very well. He uses MyTobii with VS Communiocator V4.
I’m teaching him things about the computer like how to use the chat or email functionality. But I’m changing the Page Sets of VS Communicator too, so they are always adapted to his (growing) capabilities. I did some changes in Windows too, so for example he can close windows easier and can access the menubar easier now.
I like it a lot to see him growing and becoming more and more independant.
He is learning English at the moment, so maybe he will write some words here in the future.

I see Ismail 1,5 hour per week. But we chat and send email a lot. And often I have to do some work at home (like changing his page sets because he wants to send attatchments in his emails). So in total I spend a lot more time on him.
Ismail uses Viking Communicator V4. He uses a start page where he can choose what to do: communication, email, chat, word processing, music player, changing his phrase list, an extra keyboard for use in Windows, calculator, calender, and a page set to change the volume and voice.
I changed the standard page sets so he uses the same keyboard in every page set. And so the exit button is at the same place everywhere. And so on…..
I’m still working on this page sets of V4. There are still some bugs in it and Ismail has some new wishes to be fullfilled. When it is ready, I will put some screenshots online for you to look at it. Maybe you can have some profit of it.
Jikke

Hello all,

Mediated by the national TV programme “Voor elkaar” (RVU), Andrei found somebody who wants to teach him to draw and paint on his My Tobii. Quinta is a very nice person and even more she is a really artist, a painter. She comes now every wednesday afternoon after school to teach Andrei how to paint in Tux Paint. Andrei makes more and more progresses.

If you would like to see the TV programme, this link helps: http://player.omroep.nl/?aflID=8260798. The programme ‘Voor Elkaar’ is about finding volunteers for more people. Andrei is just one of them. We think that the images tell a lot, even if you do not understand Dutch. Andrei appears several (short) times in the whole tv-programme.

Your reactions will be very appreciated. Thank you!

All the best!
Mihaela, Arie and Andrei