Re: TIRA is junk - AVOID IT!

Hello Dave what exactly are you trying to do with the wheelchair? Does it have an IR Remote? I design IR & Microcontroller devices, and I will supply all source code. I've been doing this sort of thing for decades.

PS I really hate the FTDI USB to RS232 chip, I find myself reverse engineering the EEPROM so I can see what they're doing with the data stream. Z-Wave USB comes to mind.

I bought a TIRA with the intention of writing software to support it for use > by the severely disabled confined to wheelchairs. > > It is a USB version of the earlier IRA, an IR device that purports to > emulate Irman and also receive and send IR in raw mode. Being powered by the > USB port, it looked like the ideal solution for this application. I was not > interested in using it with Girder in Irman emulation mode. > > It uses the FTDI chip (which I've used myself in similar applications) for > the USB interface. > > It took more than 6 weeks to arrive from Canada. It took several more days > to get documentation via email of the ASCII protocol. > > I could not get the ASCII protocol to work. When I contacted the > manufacturer I was pointed to a DLL file with documentation that indicated > the device had to be on COM3-COM8 (why?). It would not work on COM3. The > manufacturer was extremely uncooperative. > > It also broke all of my other devices that use the FTDI chip, seeing all of > them as TIRA. > > The manufacturer has refused a refund. > > I am awaiting delivery of a USB-UIRT. I hope it will prove to work. It also > uses the FTDI chip but uses different FTDI drivers and comes with much > better documentation (which I already have). > --- >
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Reply to
William
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Reply to
William

I wasn't doing anything with the chair - merely looking to provide a way for the occupant to control AV, lights, etc. using any IR remote. The USB-UIRT fills the bill.

AFAIK, ZWave has no IR nor anything that interacts with AV gear.

Reply to
Dave Houston

Reply to
William

This was over two years ago. It was not a commercial project but was done gratis for some ALS victims. I wrote some free software to support Slink-e, Ocelot, GC-100 as targets for USB-UIRT and Firecracker from a laptop mounted on the chair. I was looking for the lowest cost hardware that could be utilized for accomplishing the task. Those able to manipulate a PDA could use some $15 commercial software with a $25 CF card IR extender which I designed. It did not use Girder. My own health went further down the tubes shortly afterwards and I no longer have time nor energy for projects like this.

If I were to do it today I'd use a PIC12F683 + Silic>If you don't mind me asking were you going to use girder and windows? Were

Reply to
Dave Houston

"William" wrote in

?

Did I miss something? Was that a blank? Is my newsreader broke? :-)

Speaking of wheelchairs, I just purchased two used powerchairs for my dad and I'd like to automate them as much as I can to help him. I'd like to have an automated, perhaps audio, checklist of all the things that need to be done before leaving the house. I'd like to add a secondary electrical system to the chairs (well, one's really a scooter) to power things like cell phones, GPS, a remote digital camera and some emergency flashers.

He's succumbing to severe arthritis and is just generally slowing down in other ways, too. I'd like to set up a sort of "adult monitor" system that can always tell me where he is and gives me the ability to communicate with him. I know it sounds like On-Star for the disabled, but I recall reading a few threads here in which some gentlemen had done the same for his teenager's car, with GPS and speed transponders, among other things. So I know it's doable. I just don't know whether *I* can do it.

Part of the problems if that I can't really use anything COTS vis-a-vis keyboards or readouts. He has trouble reading LCD's and fingering small buttons, which has sent me on a search for large button phones, remotes and DVD players. I have a cheap but very rugged OFA remote with huge, form-cut buttons that he can manage with for now. The problem is that I can see a time when even that level of manipulation will be difficult for him. I'm not sure where to go from there. I know about devices like Sip-N-Puff and other head motion controllers, but there's got to be something for people who are not completely paralyzed.

Well, any pointers or discussion would be welcome.

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

Google on "Alzheimer Tracking". A cell phone that can be located is probably the best thing for this situation.

Assisted Living suppliers have very large buttons. Of course, the larger the buttons, the fewer functions in any given space. There are proximity sensors and field sensors that can create keypads on doors, glass, almost anything. Some have been discussed here. Circuit Cellar magazine has also had some articles on them.

There are also brain implants that allow control of a mouse cursor but it doesn't seem like he need go that far.

If he always leaves by the same egress, some type of proximity switch could trigger the audio reminders. You could even use RFID in such a way that only the wheelchair passing would trigger it.

Reply to
Dave Houston

Yes, I've read about those phones. There is a local sheriff's program that's had some remarkable successes with recovering lost "wanderers" with those special phones. The problem with that system is I think you have to issue a "lost geezer" alert, and that's not something I want to do. I'd like to have a plug in cradle on the chair so he can plug in a cellphone and operate it from a larger-buttoned control panel and speed dial up to ten numbers without much effort. Most new cellphones are designed for people with very small fingers, very good vision and exceptional hand-eye coordination. That's definitely NOT my dad!

Part of the problem is that as soon as something's considered a medical device, its cost at least triples. I bought him a very nice child's CD player for Christmas that he can handle quite easily because it has enormous color-coded controls. My idea was to give him the ability to scroll through a large font on-screen list of choices using the right hand to advance and the left hand to select. He can still mash things down with his fist pretty well. :-) I suspect it will be fairly easy to wire in large "mash" buttons to an existing mouse and use one of the very small PC's to drive it all. I'll have to give it all some thought because the problem he has now is over and underclicking. He clicks either too early or too late and gets frustrated because he has to then back out of wherever he went accidentally.

Most of those types of controls are for people quite a bit further along in decrepitude. I want to deliver technological advantage without it being as much of a curse as it is a blessing.

Well, at least we have that part of it covered. There's only one way out of the house on a scooter without going up or down a flight of stairs. I've worked out a manual check list of things he needs before leaving the house for when Mom's not there to do it for him, but so far, there's been no real substitute for her hovering over him making sure he's got his cellphone, his water, his meds and his pants on. :-)

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

I'd look at voice activation/control for the cell phone - it would be much simpler. If you could (or could not) reach him via the cell phone, you could decide whether or not an alert is appropriate.

Google on "GPS people tracker" and you'll find a lot of options, many of which are not terribly costly. This is a common need. Checking with various support groups might give you up to date info on what's available.

GPS tracking, whether by cell phone or a separate GPS device, is in widespread use and there are companies that provide such service.

I would seriously consider voice control although I would steer clear of HAL and others like it - they're more toy than tool. Quadriplegics and others who _must_ depend on voice control almost universally recommend HomeVoice.

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The implants are still in the lab stage but have been proven. There are other, less intrusive, bio-feedback devices. They do require training and only offer rudimentary control but they are enough to replace a mouse.

It's almost always possible to devise something. More than 40 years ago I worked for the Seeburg (juke boxes, pinball, vending machines, etc.) distributor in San Franscisco. (I installed and serviced commercial sound systems.) The guys in the shop that repaired the juke boxes and other coin operated machines turned a pinball machine into a typewriter for a kid with cerebral palsy. It rotated through the alphabet and he pushed a button to "type" the currently highlighted letter on a teletype machine. The concept lives on in computer programs for the handicapped today.

If you really want to do this right, look into "wearable" computing. You could give him a heads up display and voice control. Your dad might end up on "Beauty and the Geek".

Reply to
Dave Houston

Here are a couple of URLs for DIY touch surfaces...

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That should have been "Beauty and the Geekster".

Reply to
Dave Houston

And triples again if it's "Medicare Approved".

Reply to
Dave Houston

Heh, my old man just hated how much we ribbed him and his bright-red and yellow "My First Sony" cd player. But after countless numbers of units his 'bionic thumbs' had destroyed we found it was best to aim for the "3 years old and up" level of switchgear. Outlasted him even.

Ha, the real reason to have kids and/or a younger spouse, eh? Not having to take a taxi to the doctors office being the first, of course.

Reply to
wkearney99

Hi Robert,

There's a company called Planet Mobility that may have just what you're looking for in a phone. It's called a "Liberty Bell" cell phone. It's voice activated. Here's the URL:

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There are hundreds of other suppliers in the assistive technology (AT) marketplace. This company is one I've heard of but I have not done business with them so no endorsement one way or the other.

Best of luck. My Dad is 84 and he's starting to have problems. The other day he fell down next to the pool and hurt his knee. He couldn't get up and my mom couldn't hear him. He was stuck outside in 90+ weather -- pretty scary until she finally heard him. It's worrying me since I'm scheduled to be out of the country soon for a couple of months.

I decided to order a PERS system from one of my suppliers. There's a wireless button he can carry or wear on his wrist. If he falls or if he presses the button it signals a base station in the house which in turn notifies our central station. They then call the house and if they don't get an answer they send help.

I don't know if that sort of thing would help your dad. If you're interested in getting one let me know and I'll put you in touch with the supplier.

Reply to
Robert L. Bass

Interestingly enough, the one time where he got into real trouble he had lost his voice because some of his meds make his mouth dry and he went out without his water bottle. He called us, but we couldn't understand him. That was REAL panic! That event sort of triggered all this interest in elder-tracking. If the laws of physics were mutable, I'd like a big panel to appear before him when he hit a "panic" button with big buttons next to choices like "I'm lost" or "I'm sick" or "Where are you?" or "Sound siren" or "Dial whomever." Since molecular manipulation won't occur for a few more decades, I need something as close to the big "panic panel" that I have described now.

Thanks. That's a good idea. I'm looking for something that's inexpensive because Dad's a Depression-era child and he's likely to have a stroke if I spent nearly $3,000 on a voice-operated phone.

I wasn't aware of that, either.

accidentally.

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I'll take a look at that. As I said, though, most of these systems are for total paraplegics. It's far more likely he'll be unable to speak clearly than he would become unable to mash down on big buttons, virtual or otherwise. Someone at work suggested going the ET route and adapting a "Speak n' Spell" or something like it as an interface a person with weak precision motor skills could use. The scooter tiller might be a good place to mount it. Then, the details would be in interfacing that control panel with a cellphone. That could be gruesome.

If you knew my dad and his distrust of all things medical, you would know that he would be among the very last people in the world who would have electrodes stuck into his noodle. :-)

Yes! This is probably what's going to end up being practical. Right and left armrest buttons with something like one of those rolling LED store signs mounted on the tiller. The left button scrolls, the right button changes context and both buttons hit simultaneously executes the action in the LED message window.

I thought of putting him in a fighter pilot helmet but he would need one of the HAN devices racers use to keep his head from leaning over from the weight. That idea came about because he somehow nearly managed to flip the powerchair out in the backyard. I thought of adding an electronic tilt indicator, but I think it wouldn't serve any useful purpose in preventing a tip. It might be useful as a remote telemetry flag, though.

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

Neat stuff but MOQ = 490 for the one that interest me.

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I'll see if I can't get hold of one of their eval units.

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

It's really sickening because it's the poor working people that take the biggest hit. Not poor enough to qualify for getting medical equipment and meds at a discount or as a insurance benefit, they have to pay the outrageously inflated list prices. There was an interesting show on TV yesterday about America's working poor and how badly they get screwed and how unlikely they ever are to move up the economic ladder. Oops, you nearly got me started on a rant!

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

Yep. It took a while to figure it out, but kid's stuff, if not too garish, works just right for the gray panthers. Survived dropping, drooling, dripping on and other assorted disasters that might kill stuff made for adults. Did NOT survive being run over by 300+ pound powerchair.

Maybe it is! From what I see on the Court TV channel, having kids or a younger spouse can often lead to a shorter, not longer, life.

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

A little out of my project budget by about $2800!

Thanks. Planet M. turned out to be a great place to buy a scooter cover. Not so sure about spending that kind of money for a voice-activated phone when Dad's last crisis involved not being able to speak!

Mom broke her hip going out for the mail. They live in a condo with those new birdhouse cluster mailboxes. Anyone know if the disabled elderly can get the USPS to deliver directly to their house? I know they leave important mail sitting in the box for days on end when neither mom nor dad want to brave the elements. This getting old stuff is a bitch!

Yes - I've seen these sort of things and will be implementing something similar to it, probably with another HAI Omni or an Elk that's got a dialer that can react to a wireless pendant push.

More likely, I'll look into a tracking GPS phone that Dave talked about so it's something he can have with him all the time. The problem with that is that there's spotty reception in the basement where he's already fallen down the stairs (miraculously with nothing more than a few bruises). I'm going to have to sit down and do some old-fashioned requirements analysis before I figure out how to go about implementing some of these suggestions.

Thanks for the pointer,

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

Yikes, hope that doesn't happen again. I had a next-door neighbor slip on in the kitchen and get stuck for two days.

Heh, a testament to the successes and failures of advertising. I'm sure everyone recalls "I've fallen and I can't get up!" but probably doesn't remember the vendor making the pitch.

I'd be more inclined to want something more interactive. Something that asked them to periodically tap a button if they're OK. It'd be tricky making it avoid 'nagging' them all the time. Perhaps a motion or heartbeat sensor that sensed unexpected pattern changes. Like lying still with a suddenly elevated heart rate as an alarm condition, or a gradual increase while moving being nothing more than regular activity and not an alarm; unless it's outside the expected distance parameters (as in, gone walkies without the pants...)

Given how the population's aging these days we'll hopefully see more devices being developed that help deal with problems like these.

Reply to
wkearney99

Perhaps an LCD with a number selections for a text message sent via bluetooth or keyboard interface to a cellphone for SMS messsages? As in, present a list of messages with one button and then send the selected message with the second one (or the first one held down 'longer') Interfacing to cell phones is always going to be a challenge but if you hack up a bluetooth keyboard and interface a PIC chip it might be do-able.

It might be useful as a sign to stop the wheels from moving. As in, it's beyond reasonable tilt angles, stop the wheels. But it'd be hard to do this without shutting off the wheels when they're NEEDED to get out of a trouble spot. Look at how a segway works for ideas on how complex it can be. Telemetry of where he's located, what the ground conditions are at that location and how the chair's tilted would certainly be useful. As in, it's fine to allow downward tilt because he's wheeling down a paved path at a controlled speed. But not fine when it's a flat area or the speed's above normal, etc.

Reply to
wkearney99

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