Speech

[matthew55]

One thing I have noticed as my voice fails is that people talk around me like I'm not there. Consequently I hear everything and I think talk is overrated and underappreciated. Just saying. x

[Doug Carpenter]

A few minutes ago I listened to my partly built Speak Unique voice.

Near perfect I would say and I haven't finished all the phrases yet.

It's uncanny!

Doug

[Barry52]

I know what you mean Matthew. I’m currently staying with mum who is 90 and loosing her sight and hearing and I have had a few frustrating days. Of course she wants to chat as she has been shielding for 5 months and when I reply mum doesn’t understand me. After 3 repeats I just give up. I have resorted to using my SpeakUnique when I something important to say and as Doug says it is a remarkable likeness of my voice as was. My family can generally understand me as they lip read but but for mum this is not an option.

All of this pales into insignificance when I am lucky enough to be able to spend time with my mum because I always think this may be the last time. Wasn’t that a song by the Stones.

Barry

[Hayls]

Very little hand movements left, trying to get better with eye gaze system but slow progress, Ellie I’m in awe of how amazing you are with navigating and using it 🤩
I’m lucky I can sound letters however my A+E’s and E+I’d are problematic and don’t get me started with B, X, Z, M, N, D and T’s alright alright maybe I should give up trying but I’m from Liverpool so it’s not an option, nattering is second nature 🤣🤪🤣

[Ellie]

Practice makes perfect, Hayls - you'll be flying around the keyboard in no time 😁

It's important that the tracker calibration is spot on and your head doesn't bob all over the place. You can change the dwell speed if it's frustrating you - too slow is as bad as too fast.

Good luck with it.

Love Ellie.

[LesleyJ]

I know what you are saying. My Mam’s voice is poor but she can still speak but the other day someone asked me if she took sugar in her tea, when Mam was sat next to me! I just said “ask her!” Or they shout like Mam has suddenly gone deaf....

[Lynne K]

Practice makes perfect, Hayls - you'll be flying around the keyboard in no time 😁

It's important that the tracker calibration is spot on and your head doesn't bob all over the place. You can change the dwell speed if it's frustrating you - too slow is as bad as too fast.

Good luck with it.

Love Ellie.

Ellie, they gave me a headset with an infrared gadget and sounds like the same Housemate. I’m supposed to move my head to control the mouse which is problematic. I’m not using it as it’s so slow. I still have use of my hands. If that can be sped up I’d try that. But I’ll have to fiddle with it as don’t know how to do it. Love Lynne x

[Ellie]

What exactly did they give you Lynne - anything you can know e.g. brand name, camera or tracking bar, mouse software, Apps used etc., and I'll try find out how to improve the settings or someone here might use the same system.

Eye tracking tends to be easier as tracking eyes is more precise than tracking head movements but, if the vast majority of its use is typing, head trackers work fine (provided you either have good head control or wear a neck brace of sorts)

Love Ellie.