A vocalisation-based drawing interface for disabled children
Edward Burke, Annraoi Paor, Gary Mcdarby
DOI:
Abstract
In our work with disabled children at Ireland's National Rehabilitation Hospital, a problem we have experienced in the facilitation of art activities is that traditional art materials and standard computer drawing programs sometimes prove inaccessible. In this paper, an original system, called "PaintMyVoice" is presented which facilitates the creation of two or three-dimensional images using a variety of novel input modalities. In particular, vocalisations can be used to create original images of a variety of objects, including trees, flowers and landscape elements. Additional input to the system can optionally be provided via mouse, keyboard, switch interface or digital camera depending on the abilities of the user. Here, the program' user interface is described, with an emphasis on accessibility features. The signal processing techniques used to measure various vocal characteristic including intensity, pitch and other spectral characteristic are outlined.