Um mapeamento sistemático sobre o uso da comunicação aumentativa alternativa apoiada por recursos tecnológicos

O estabelecimento da comunicação frequentemente é um problema para pessoas com deficiência intelectual. Neste sentido, a Comunicação Aumentativa e Alternativa (CAA) pode ser utilizada para apoiar a realização de um diálogo entre essas pessoas. A CAA se caracteriza por utilizar simultaneamente mais de um canal para realizar a comunicação, sendo os canais sem tecnologia, com baixa ou alta tecnologia. Neste trabalho é realizado um mapeamento sistemático, conduzido nas bases acadêmicas Science Direct, ACM e IEEE, para identificar como a CAA está sendo utilizada em conjunto com dispositivos eletrônicos. O processo de busca retornou 185 trabalhos, no entanto, apenas 39 atenderam aos critérios de inclusão e exclusão aplicados no mapeamento. Nos trabalhos analisados foi identificado maior frequência do uso do tablet como dispositivo, do alto-falante como recurso de hardware, e da imagem como forma de comunicação. Embora os trabalhos objetivavam a comunicação e educação, apenas um deles utilizou a colaboração, os demais optaram por desenvolver suas atividades individualmente. Embora os trabalhos objetivavam a comunicação e educação, apenas um deles utilizou a colaboração, os demais optavam por desenvolver suas atividades individualmente

Estudi bibliomètric any 2016. EETAC

El present document recull les publicacions indexades a la base de dades Scopus durant el període comprès entre el mesos de gener a desembre de l’any 2016, escrits per autors pertanyents a l’EETAC. Es presenten les dades recollides segons la font on s’ha publicat, els autors que han publicat, i el tipus de document publicat. S’hi inclou un annex amb la llista de totes les referències bibliogràfiques publicades.Postprint (author's final draft

Estudi bibliomètric any 2015. EETAC

El present document recull les publicacions indexades a la base de dades Scopus durant el període comprès entre el mesos de gener a desembre de l’any 2015, escrits per autors pertanyents a l’EETAC. Es presenten les dades recollides segons la font on s’ha publicat, els autors que han publicat, i el tipus de document publicat. S’hi inclou un annex amb la llista de totes les referències bibliogràfiques publicades.Postprint (published version

Lineamientos para el diseño de interfaces gráficas y componentes gráficos de sistemas de comunicación aumentativa y alternativa.

Las personas con dificultades en la producción del lenguaje deben enfrentarse a situaciones que les hace depender día a día de otras personas, ya que no pueden comunicar sus pensamientos ni necesidades. Para ayudar a estas personas los sistemas de comunicación aumentativa y alternativa (CAA) ofrecen la posibilidad de transmitir información a partir de la selección de componentes gráficos que representan la realidad, entre los problemas de este tipo de sistemas se encuentran los bajos niveles de usabilidad en las interfaces gráficas y el uso de pictogramas que no se adecuan al contexto y lenguaje de los usuarios. Este trabajo presenta una serie de factores a tener en cuenta al momento de diseñar una interfaz gráfica para sistemas CAA y la evaluación de material gráfico diseñado específicamente para el contexto de los usuarios con afasia, una enfermedad que se caracteriza por la pérdida de la capacidad de producir y comprender el lenguaje oral y escrito. Las pruebas señalan que adicional a la posibilidad de modificar factores de posición, tamaño y color, es necesario incluir imágenes que hagan parte del contexto del usuario facilitando la selección de las imágenes relevantes para la creación del mensaje. Los resultados de esta propuesta pueden ser de utilidad para desarrolladores de sistemas CAA ya que sirven como guía para el diseño de interfaces que facilitan al usuario la creación de frases

PSM-DMO: power save mode and discontinuous BLE mesh operation

The Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh profile, standardized by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), has an increasing interest in IoT solutions. However, the standard assumes that relay and friend nodes should be continuously scanning the channel awaiting any incoming transmissions. This could be very inefficient in terms of energy consumption, particularly in application scenarios where the backbone of the mesh network cannot be powered and traffic is infrequent. Hence, we present a novel strategy, named PSM-DMO, that minimizes the scan periods and thus, significantly reduces the overall energy consumption of the mesh network. PSM-DMO is defined as a new and optional feature for the currently published BLE mesh specifications, coexists with the standard operation, and is implemented without modifying the core of the specification. The proposal, that ensures the reliability of the mesh operation, can be used in BLE sensor networks that can tolerate a certain transmission delay. PSM-DMO replaces the continuous scan by a periodic but asynchronous polling process whereby the relay and sink nodes interrogate their neighbors about the existence of data to receive or to retransmit through the network. Nodes only go into scan mode during the period of time the mesh network will be involved in the transmission and dissemination. This period is estimated by the node which is the source of data, it is announced to its neighbors and it is propagated consecutively by all the relay nodes until the destination. PSM-DMO allows a theoretical reduction in the energy consumption of relay nodes up to 99.24 %

PSM-DMO: power save mode and discontinuous BLE mesh operation

The Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh profile, standardized by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), has an increasing interest in IoT solutions. However, the standard assumes that relay and friend nodes should be continuously scanning the channel awaiting any incoming transmissions. This could be very inefficient in terms of energy consumption, particularly in application scenarios where the backbone of the mesh network cannot be powered and traffic is infrequent. Hence, we present a novel strategy, named PSM-DMO, that minimizes the scan periods and thus, significantly reduces the overall energy consumption of the mesh network. PSM-DMO is defined as a new and optional feature for the currently published BLE mesh specifications, coexists with the standard operation, and is implemented without modifying the core of the specification. The proposal, that ensures the reliability of the mesh operation, can be used in BLE sensor networks that can tolerate a certain transmission delay. PSM-DMO replaces the continuous scan by a periodic but asynchronous polling process whereby the relay and sink nodes interrogate their neighbors about the existence of data to receive or to retransmit through the network. Nodes only go into scan mode during the period of time the mesh network will be involved in the transmission and dissemination. This period is estimated by the node which is the source of data, it is announced to its neighbors and it is propagated consecutively by all the relay nodes until the destination. PSM-DMO allows a theoretical reduction in the energy consumption of relay nodes up to 99.24 %.This work has been supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Science through the projects RTI2018-099880-B-C32. RTI2018-095684-B-I00 and RTI2018-099063-B-I00 with ERFD funds, and by the Government of Aragon (Reference Group T31_20R).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A wireless augmentative and alternative communication system for people with speech disabilities

An augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device for people with speech disabilities is presented. This AAC system exhibits the advantages of two currently used systems: 1) usability of the communication boards and 2) natural oral communication of the electronic communicators. To improve comfort in use, robustness and versatility, the system is designed as two separate blocks linked by wireless communication via a wireless network of communication board sheets. The communication sheets, which are the interface with the user, are economical, simple to use, and scalable to adaptation of the number of symbols and the vocabulary of the individuals who use the system. The digital system (record/player system) controls the net, identifies the active sheets and the pushed symbols, and plays and records all sounds. This digital system can be easily replaced by other digital interfaces, such as computers, smartphones, or tablets, and can increase the function of the AAC with the possibility of using the Internet communication (emails and Skype, among others). The prototype has been evaluated in two special education schools, which are attended by children with severe motor disabilities with or without associated disorders and multi-deficiencies. Positive reviews from individuals who use the AAC system open the possibility of the system’s use in both home and educational environments