Mouse adapter gives computer access to millions of hand tremor sufferers
From: IBM Research News - 03/14/2005

IBM announced its researchers have invented a new computer mouse adapter that
enables people who suffer from hand tremors to eliminate excessive cursor
movement, thereby allowing more normal use of a personal computer. IBM is
licensing the mouse adapter to Montrose Secam Limited, a small British
electronics company, which plans to manufacture and sell the Assistive Mouse
Adapter for under $100.  

According to the International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF), nearly 10
million people in the United States alone are affected by Essential Tremor,
the most common form of hand tremors. The involuntary movements of the hand
when using a computer mouse make it extremely difficult to operate a PC.
Simple tasks like opening an email or navigating the web are made almost
impossible because of the erratic movements of the cursor on the screen. 

The new mouse adapter filters out the shaking movements of the hand - in a
similar way to how the image stabilizing systems of some camera lenses work.
The device, which is designed to work with any PC and operating system, can
benefit users in homes and offices, as well as in public places like
libraries and universities. No additional software is required; the adapter
is simply plugged in between the computer and the mouse and can be switched
on or off, and adjusted depending on the tremor severity. It can also be set
to filter out unintended multiple clicking on the mouse caused by a shaking
finger. 

By bringing the mouse adapter to market, Montrose Secam hopes to give
millions of sufferers around the world uninterrupted access to their
computers for the first time. One of the companys directors, James Cosgrave,
himself a sufferer of a tremor condition which he inherited at birth, said
"Im a pilot and my tremor condition has not limited my ability to fly a
plane, but using a PC has proven almost impossible simply because everything
revolves around using the mouse to accurately manipulate the tiny cursor on
the screen. I have been using a prototype of the mouse adapter for over a
year now and it has literally transformed my life." Montrose Secam plans to
donate a percentage of sales from the adapter to local tremor foundations to
help offer support and advice to sufferers of tremor conditions. 

Parkinsons is perhaps the disease most commonly associated with tremors, but
there are other conditions such as Essential Tremor (ET) which are less well
known but actually more common. While tremor conditions are often worse in
the elderly, they can occur in people of all ages - Essential Tremor, for
example, is a condition inherited genetically at birth and can affect people
throughout their lives.  

"Tremor conditions can have a devastating effect on peoples lives because
they make many simple everyday tasks incredibly difficult - everything from
holding a drink, to buttoning a shirt," said Catherine Rice of the
International Essential Tremor Foundation. "Using a computer mouse is well
known for being extremely hard for people with tremors so were delighted to
hear that a technology has been developed to address this problem - we
anticipate that it will generate a huge interest with sufferers of the
condition."  

For the complete article, visit:
http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/pr.nsf/pages/news.20050314_mouseadapter.html

Links:
International Essential Tremor Foundation
http://www.essentialtremor.org/

Montrose Secam Limited
http://www.montrosesecam.com/index1.html

IBM - Adapter lets mouse trap hand tremor movement
http://www.ibm.com/news/us/en/2005/03/2005_03_14.html

Contributed by Jamie Prioli

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Motion Filter Eases Troubles With Mouse
From: New York Times - 03/24/05 - P. E8
By: Anne Eisenberg

An adapter invented by IBM researcher James Levine can filter out shaky mouse
movements caused by tremors in the hands of users suffering from motor skills
disorders. The Assistive Mouse Adapter is about as small as a handheld
calculator and plugs in between the mouse and the computer; the device is
equipped with a microprocessor that intercepts the motion data sent from the
mouse and uses an algorithm to screen out the high-frequency motion
attributable to the tremor before passing it on to the computer. The
adapter's controls can be set to reject the extra mouse clicks of trembling
fingers and make it less difficult for users with motor impairments to
double-click. The device was tested with assistance from Dr. Cathy Bodine of
the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who helped set up trials
involving disabled people who could identify what kinds of properties should
be incorporated into the mouse filter. "The results of our tests showed that
[the device] helped people, minimizing the impact of tremor on the use of the
computer," Bodine notes. Envisioneering Group research director Richard
Doherty says the Assistive Hand Adapter offers considerably more adaptability
and ruggedness than other computer navigation options, such as eye tracking.
The mouse filter is manufactured by Montrose Secam in Britain, which is
selling the product online for about $100. Montrose Secam director James
Cosgrave became interested in the device and elected to produce it himself
because he is afflicted with a hereditary tremor. 

Read the entire article at:
http://tech.nytimes.com/2005/03/24/technology/circuits/24next.html

Links:
Cathy Bodine
http://www.uchsc.edu/atp/contact.htm

Envisioneering
http://www.envisioneering.net/

Richard Doherty
rdoherty@envisioneering.net

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How to Tame a Mouse
From: AARP Bulletin - May 2005 - page 8

For people with hand tremors, pointing and clicking a computer mouse can be
one of life's most exasperating challenges. Now comes a solution: the
Assistive Mouse Adapter, which uses technology like that in camcorders to
filter out shakes and jitters from a user's hand. It's the brainchild of Jim
Levine, a researcher at IBM who holds more than 30 US patents on touchscreens
and other aspects of interactive computer technology. "I first realized how
debilitating hand tremors can be when I watched my elderly uncle try to use a
computer mouse," Levine says. The adapter is $99 plus shipping from British
manufacturer Montrose Secam Ltd.

