A neuroscience-based design of intelligent tools for the elderly and disabled

The author has developed one basic research approach for universal accessibility over a period of 28 years. As reviewed in this paper, he and his co-researchers have designed several intelligent tools for universal accessibility as well as obtained many basic findings concerning neuroscience of human information processing. Some of the tools have been manufactured in Japan and the technologies as well as the basic findings have been applied to construct human-centered computer interfaces such as virtual reality, automatic speech recognition and speech syntheses. Moreover, these newly developed computer interface technologies have led to the improvement in the design of models for developing universal accessibility devices. Lastly, the author has emphasized that a neuroscience-based design of intelligent tools for the elderly and disabled may open a large market.

[1]  T. Ifukube,et al.  A blind mobility aid modeled after echolocation of bats , 1991, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[2]  T. Ifukube.  Discrimination of synthetic vowels by using tactile vocoder and a comparison to that of an eight-channel cochlear implant , 1989, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[3]  Tohru Ifukube,et al.  A Speech Processor with Lateral Inhibition for an Eight Channel Cochlear Implant and its Evaluation , 1987, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[4]  Tohru Ifukube,et al.  Development of a GUI screen reader for blind persons , 1998 .

[5]  Tohru Ifukube,et al.  Design of a new electrolarynx having a pitch control function , 1994, Proceedings of 1994 3rd IEEE International Workshop on Robot and Human Communication.

[6]  Matsushima,et al.  Surgical Method for Implanted Tinnitus Suppressor. , 1996, The international tinnitus journal.

[7]  Tohru Ifukube,et al.  Development of a GUI screen reader for blind persons , 1998, Systems and Computers in Japan.

[8]  Chikamune Wada.  Proposal and evaluation of the sweeping display of the speech spectrum for a tactile vocoder used by the profoundly hearing impaired , 1996 .

[9]  S. Shimizu,et al.  Proposal of a new method for narrowing and moving the stimulated region of cochlear implants: animal experiment and numerical analysis , 1999, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[10]  Jianming Lu.  Tone Enhancement in Mandarin Speech for Listeners with Hearing Impairment , 2001 .

[11]  T Ifukube,et al.  A portable digital speech-rate converter for hearing impairment. , 1996, IEEE transactions on rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.