Mouse adapter gives computer access to millions of hand tremor sufferers From: IBM Research News - 03/14/2005 IBM announced its researchers have invented a new computer mouse adapter that enables people who suffer from hand tremors to eliminate excessive cursor movement, thereby allowing more normal use of a personal computer. IBM is licensing the mouse adapter to Montrose Secam Limited, a small British electronics company, which plans to manufacture and sell the Assistive Mouse Adapter for under $100. According to the International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF), nearly 10 million people in the United States alone are affected by Essential Tremor, the most common form of hand tremors. The involuntary movements of the hand when using a computer mouse make it extremely difficult to operate a PC. Simple tasks like opening an email or navigating the web are made almost impossible because of the erratic movements of the cursor on the screen. The new mouse adapter filters out the shaking movements of the hand - in a similar way to how the image stabilizing systems of some camera lenses work. The device, which is designed to work with any PC and operating system, can benefit users in homes and offices, as well as in public places like libraries and universities. No additional software is required; the adapter is simply plugged in between the computer and the mouse and can be switched on or off, and adjusted depending on the tremor severity. It can also be set to filter out unintended multiple clicking on the mouse caused by a shaking finger. By bringing the mouse adapter to market, Montrose Secam hopes to give millions of sufferers around the world uninterrupted access to their computers for the first time. One of the company’s directors, James Cosgrave, himself a sufferer of a tremor condition which he inherited at birth, said "I’m a pilot and my tremor condition has not limited my ability to fly a plane, but using a PC has proven almost impossible simply because everything revolves around using the mouse to accurately manipulate the tiny cursor on the screen. I have been using a prototype of the mouse adapter for over a year now and it has literally transformed my life." Montrose Secam plans to donate a percentage of sales from the adapter to local tremor foundations to help offer support and advice to sufferers of tremor conditions. Parkinson’s is perhaps the disease most commonly associated with tremors, but there are other conditions such as Essential Tremor (ET) which are less well known but actually more common. While tremor conditions are often worse in the elderly, they can occur in people of all ages - Essential Tremor, for example, is a condition inherited genetically at birth and can affect people throughout their lives. "Tremor conditions can have a devastating effect on people’s lives because they make many simple everyday tasks incredibly difficult - everything from holding a drink, to buttoning a shirt," said Catherine Rice of the International Essential Tremor Foundation. "Using a computer mouse is well known for being extremely hard for people with tremors so we’re delighted to hear that a technology has been developed to address this problem - we anticipate that it will generate a huge interest with sufferers of the condition." For the complete article, visit: http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/pr.nsf/pages/news.20050314_mouseadapter.html Links: International Essential Tremor Foundation http://www.essentialtremor.org/ Montrose Secam Limited http://www.montrosesecam.com/index1.html IBM - Adapter lets mouse trap hand tremor movement http://www.ibm.com/news/us/en/2005/03/2005_03_14.html Contributed by Jamie Prioli --- Motion Filter Eases Troubles With Mouse From: New York Times - 03/24/05 - P. E8 By: Anne Eisenberg An adapter invented by IBM researcher James Levine can filter out shaky mouse movements caused by tremors in the hands of users suffering from motor skills disorders. The Assistive Mouse Adapter is about as small as a handheld calculator and plugs in between the mouse and the computer; the device is equipped with a microprocessor that intercepts the motion data sent from the mouse and uses an algorithm to screen out the high-frequency motion attributable to the tremor before passing it on to the computer. The adapter's controls can be set to reject the extra mouse clicks of trembling fingers and make it less difficult for users with motor impairments to double-click. The device was tested with assistance from Dr. Cathy Bodine of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who helped set up trials involving disabled people who could identify what kinds of properties should be incorporated into the mouse filter. "The results of our tests showed that [the device] helped people, minimizing the impact of tremor on the use of the computer," Bodine notes. Envisioneering Group research director Richard Doherty says the Assistive Hand Adapter offers considerably more adaptability and ruggedness than other computer navigation options, such as eye tracking. The mouse filter is manufactured by Montrose Secam in Britain, which is selling the product online for about $100. Montrose Secam director James Cosgrave became interested in the device and elected to produce it himself because he is afflicted with a hereditary tremor. Read the entire article at: http://tech.nytimes.com/2005/03/24/technology/circuits/24next.html Links: Cathy Bodine http://www.uchsc.edu/atp/contact.htm Envisioneering http://www.envisioneering.net/ Richard Doherty rdoherty@envisioneering.net --- How to Tame a Mouse From: AARP Bulletin - May 2005 - page 8 For people with hand tremors, pointing and clicking a computer mouse can be one of life's most exasperating challenges. Now comes a solution: the Assistive Mouse Adapter, which uses technology like that in camcorders to filter out shakes and jitters from a user's hand. It's the brainchild of Jim Levine, a researcher at IBM who holds more than 30 US patents on touchscreens and other aspects of interactive computer technology. "I first realized how debilitating hand tremors can be when I watched my elderly uncle try to use a computer mouse," Levine says. The adapter is $99 plus shipping from British manufacturer Montrose Secam Ltd.