Empowerment Through Access: Interview With Tom Jakobs of InvoTek, Inc.
By Exceptional Parent Magazine, Vol. 39, No. 8/9, pp. 72-73Publication Date: August/September 2009
Interview with the co-founder of assistive technology maker InvoTek focuses on AccuPoint, a head tracking technology for people with very limited physical abilities. AccuPoint, a 3D tracking device for computer screen cursor control, was developed with a grant from the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research (NIDRR) at the Department of Education. The tracking system need only be calibrated once at the beginning of a session to keep the cursor aligned with the user’s head even if he or she moves away from the computer. Its on-screen keyboard stays in one place, enabling the user to learn the motor patterns for moving among the keys. For users whose insurance does not cover the device, InvoTek has initiated a pilot program, called AT Passport, that lets people use the head tracker for 39 dollars a month. The company worked with adults with high spinal cord injury to develop AccuPoint, and collaborates with other researchers on grant proposals to fund future projects including a speech recognition system for people who are difficult to understand, and a laser-based device enabling communication and environmental control for individuals with severe physical disabilities. More information can be found at http://www.invotek.org.
Assistive Products Discussed: ACCUPOINT
Published by: EP Global Communications (Website:http://www.eparent.com)
