AsTeRICS Academy for Cross-Cultural Education in Assistive Technology
AsTeRICS Academy - Factsheet
Development and Internationalisation in Assistive Technology
– Open Source, affordable AT-tools
– Contacts to end users / caretakers
– Involvement of students / academic partners
Educational Strategies
– Workshops (different target groups)
– Integration of AT-topics into FHTW teaching
– Summer School & Ph.D. - cooperations
Funding partner: City of Vienna (MA23)
– Call 14: „Internationalisation“
– Project duration: 3 Years: 2013-2016
© 2015/16, UAS Technikum Wien page 2
Assistive Tool Development: FABI
• Extremely Low Cost (ca. 10 – 15 €)
• HID emulation: mouse/keyboard actions, triggered with switches
• Arduino-compatible microcontroller, laser-cut or standard enclosure
• configuration via GUI:
Flexible Assistive Button Interface
© 2015/16, UAS Technikum Wien page 3
Tool Development: “FLipMouse”
• „Finger- and Lip- Mouse“ - low force, zero way joystick
• Flexible configuration of sensitivity, sip-/puff functions, ….
• Usable with PC or Android without drivers
• Connection of two external switches
• 5 slots for different settings
• Arduino-compatible
© 2015/16, UAS Technikum Wien page 4
Tool Development: AsTeRICS framework
• 3-year FP-7 EU project with 8 partner institutions, ca. 3M€
• Create assistive solutions using a graphical designer
• OSGi Middleware, Java / C++ plugin system
• More than 160 functional plugins to enable
• Computer Vision
• Eyetracking (Tobii EyeX …)
• Bioelectric Interfaces
• Augmented Communication
• Accessible Gaming
• Linux support (Raspberry Pi)
• Environmental control
(EnOcean, KNX, FS20, …)
• and much more …
Assistive Technology Rapid Integration & Construction Set
© 2015/16, UAS Technikum Wien page 5
AsTeRICS Workshop
• Target Group: Students, Academic Institutions, Skilled Caretakers
• AsTeRICS model building and application
• AsTeRICS plugin development (where applicable)
© 2014/15 UAS Technikum Wien
• Technical University Prague, 2014
• National University for Science & Technology Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), 2015
page 6
End User Workshop
• Target Group: Caretakers and End User Organisations or Individuals
• Flip and FABI, various assistive software appliactions
• Face / Eyetracking, On-Screen Keyboards, Environmental Control
• Accessible Gaming, Augmented Communication
• Jairos Jiri Vocational Training Centre, Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), 2015
• King George IV School, Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), 2015
© 2015/16, UAS Technikum Wien page 7
Summer School 2015
• 30 Students from 14 different countries
• Topics / Thematic Sessions:
• Web Accessibility
• Augmentative & Alternative Communication
• Bioelectric Signals and Signal Processing
• DIY Assistive Solutions in Minutes
• Hands On Projects in small groups
© 2015/16, UAS Technikum Wien page 8
UNIKATE Project for Harry H.
• 35 years, muscular dystrophy
• Movement of lips possible
• Enabled: computer access,
environmental control
playing a musical instrument
© 2015/16, UAS Technikum Wien
Live Concert „AsTeRICS and the Toilers of Tune“ (Jazz Band)
page 9
Cooperation with MDF Nepal
• Supports ~500 patients with muscular dystrophy around Nepal
• Extremely low income – affordable solutions needed !
• 40 – 50 people identified who could benefit from our low-cost tools
• Cooperation paused because of earthquake …. now resumed !
Muscular Dystrophy Foundation Nepal (MDF)
© 2015/16, UAS Technikum Wien page 10
Outook
• Summer School 2016: takes place July 11th – 20th
• APPEAR Academic Partnership (ADA / OeAD / EZA)
Meru University for Science and Technology / Kenya
University of Zimbabwe
• Cooperation with 4 Students of “Die Graphische”
FLipmouse boxing design
Construction Manual
Homepage / Forum
• FLipmouse Construction Kit
Offer kits via Technikum Wien Solutions
Build kits in course of lectures (embedded HW/SW design)
For more information / contact please visit: http://www.asterics-academy.net
© 2015/16, UAS Technikum Wien page 11
THANK YOU! www.technikum-wien.at