Challenge:
Most microcomputer-based AAC technologies are designed for composing text or generating message content. Comparatively few AAC devices provide the specific tools to support face-to-face social interaction. The ability to engage in competent real-time social interactions forms a foundation for social, academic and employment success.
Goals:
This project seeks to create new AAC technologies to conduct social interactions utilizing:
- Recent advances in hardware and software technologies such as digital paper, emotive speech synthesis, gesture recognition, etc.
- Recent social interaction research in AAC
Activities:
- Develop technology infrastructure to document interactions, assess technology use, collect information about user goals, values and preferences.
- Prototype technologies that address specific interaction activities
- Integrate successful prototypes and transfer the technology into the commercial sector.
Knowledge Transfer
Higginbotham, D.J. (February, 2009). When navigating the interaction timestream is your AAC device a kayak, an inner tube or a cement block (tied to your ankle)? Presentation at the Division 12 Augmentative and Alternative Communication Conference, American Speech Language and Hearing Association, Rockville, MD.
Higginbotham, D. J., & Wilkins, D.P. (in press). In-person Interaction in AAC: New perspectives on utterances, multimodality, timing and device design. Perspectives on Augmentative Communication.
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