This is an email to a researcher in the domain of eye-control for computers, indicating my interest in the work…

here is a link to a recent seminar abstract: http://bid.berkeley.edu/announcements/#483

I’m a software engineer with mobility issues due to tetraplegia from a snowboarding accident, I’ve been interested in wearable computing for awhile but it’s not my software domain. I work mainly with real-time information processing developed using C, bash & python.

I have tried various different accessible technologies as control inputs including most recently the PCEye Go from “Tobii”. But have found that due to my familiarity with voice recognition and scripting, there is an inherent inertia that seems to prevent me from integrating it into my day-to-day use. The abstract on your talk states “… our eyes are our primary sensor to understand the world around us and are not naturally used as means of control. Eye-based interfaces can thus feel frustrating, uncomfortable, or counter-intuitive. Which information can we harvest from the eyes without disrupting the sensory process? …”. this sentiment reflects very closely my experiences with eye-based control.

I have tried and I’m interested in the dual use of voice recognition and eye-control and would be interested in your opinion on this modality.

as well as asking for practical advice would also like to follow some of your research and offer to help in any way I can. I couldn’t find your talk on YouTube, has it been uploaded yet?
please send me links for any easily absorbable research summaries you have on this topic

thanks to Cedric Honnet, a fellow student at Brunel University, for signposting me to this

off to Switzerland end of March to see some of David Josephine Lucas and Gillian after dad ‘s operation. May venture up to Flaine to see some friends while we are there.

working on some interesting information processing challenges at work

Dad has undergone major back surgery in New York, fixing his lower back(T11-S2). Not a very nice ordeal for him but he seems to be recovering fast. I’m planning to go to Switzerland to visit soon to try to entertain him.

I’m working hard on information processing software looking at dealing with large numbers of Internet packets.

Looking forward to break over Easter

Tickets – South West Four.

I just got tickets!

Thoughts going out to those in the UK suffering from the flooding, we have been lucky!

great weekend with Gary (inspirationalgeek.WordPress.com) and Kayleigh, very excited about seeing PRINCE tonight, then less than Jake & Reel Big Fish & FOALS next week & dirty dancing on the weekend!
what a busy time…

Eats Everything + Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs + Gerd-What’s On-XOYO.

Going to see Orlando play at XOYO,  any of the other Oxford lot going?

GOLD TEETH – by dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip and Flux Pavilion – YouTube.

Just went to see these guys And they were fantastico.

Hopefully see them again soon

Advertising internally with the agency I use for my personal assistants:

After a fantastic Christmas with lots of family and friends and mostly a very busy household, today was a slightly morose reflection on past celebrations and impending deadlines!
So, in order to procrastinate I’m writing a blog entry…
The article I wrote for forward magazine seemed to be useful and is being reused in various places.
We are planning trips to Switzerland, Sweden, Thailand and possibly Italy in the next couple of years.
And my friend Gary has come up with a great idea for jigsaw puzzle, 3-D printed wheelchair ramps… See the previous post.

My efforts are focused on brushing up my C programming and improving the portability of my voice recognition software setup.

3D printed Wheelchair-Ramp for one step by nanonan – Thingiverse.

Thanks for pointing this one out Gary, some great ideas and the perfect example of the use of 3-D printing for practical solutions!

UPDATE: below is Gary’s design, credit to someone on the above forum for having a similar idea.

Wendy and Peter Pan | RSC.

great show, good job that man Colin Richmond. Shame not to see Ellen Nabarro on the credits for her work as assistant!

and the lazy cow is a great steakhouse for anyone visiting Stratford. We got a serious education in the science of beef!

Stealing Chocolate – YouTube.

great example of how the banking system works :-p

tried to sort out a trip with this thing, unfortunately can’t get an appropriate vehicle because it is unavailable!

Hopefully better luck next time… Still enjoying Tenerife, accessibility is good partly due to the excessive tourism focus.