Brigham Young University Students Create Glasses To Help Autistic Children Improve Eye Contact

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 12:10:45 GMT

For Heidi Krenshaw, mother of a 7 year old Autistic boy, getting him to make eye contact was always a challenge. While taking a break during a therapy session, Heidi and the therapist noticed that he was too fixated on a Mickey Mouse show that he was allowed to watch as a reward, and wasn’t listening to his mother. “I wish I could just put Mickey Mouse up on my face!”, Heidi exclaimed.

Even though that statement resulted from frustration, the idea stuck with Heidi, and she decided to do something about it. She reached out to several engineers around the world, pitching the idea of creating glasses that will show cartoon shows on the surface, which will somehow help children with Autism to make eye contact. She was told it was either not possible or will take millions of dollars to make. Finally, she pitched it to the engineering capstone program at Brigham Young University, where she was matched with six students who would ultimately help make her dream a reality.

The team came up with several ideas, and within a couple of months, created a prototype of the glasses. This is how it works: the therapist wears the glasses that display animation on the lenses. The opacity of the lenses can be controlled by the therapist. When the session starts, the opacity can be set to a 100% so that all the child sees is the animation. Gradually, the opacity can be reduced until the child sees the therapist’s eyes. At that point, the therapist can start with their regular therapy lessons.

These glasses can trigger a response in the child’s brain that can help them become more comfortable with therapists and enable them to sit through speech lessons easily. Heidi thinks that besides therapy lessons, these glasses can help children with Autism connect with others more confidently.

Watch the video below to learn more about these glasses and read the source link for more details.

Source: Brigham Young University

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Weetbe Transparent Mask Comes With Filters, Is Anti-Fog And Has A Snap On Fan Module

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 04:30:30 GMT

Six months into the pandemic, one thing that has become a way of life for all of us around the world is wearing a mask when we are out and about. Masks come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and styles, and for many has also become a fashion accessory. However, it has been clearly established that masks create a communication hindrance for deaf and hard of hearing people who rely on lip reading for communication. To address this issue, some individuals created transparent masks recently. Weetbe happens to be another transparent mask but with some interesting additional features. (wait, masks can have features?)

Made out of 100% recyclable material, weetbe comes with two washable/steam sterilizable filters that not only trap airborne particles including viruses but also helps the person breathe 98% clean, purified air. However, from an accessibility perspective, what’s really cool is the clear, see through body of the mask that makes it easy for deaf people to read lips. Not only that, this mask is also anti-fog with an air-sealing lining. It gets even more interesting with its ability to snap on a battery operated fan module to itself! This fan can help during exercising and running, and can also help anyone who has trouble breathing with the mask on.

Currently, the Weetbe mask is being funded on Indiegogo with delivery expected worldwide in October 2020. Pricing starts at $29/€25, and €1 is being donated towards finding a cure for Amiotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Watch the quick video below to see what the Weetbe mask looks like and definitely check out the source link and Indiegogo page for more detailed information and photos.

Source: Yanko Design, Indiegogo

The post Weetbe Transparent Mask Comes With Filters, Is Anti-Fog And Has A Snap On Fan Module appeared first on Assistive Technology Blog.