Exploring a New Communication Tool with Becky
Yesterday we were thrilled to be able to trial an new version of TrackTalker, the nose-tracking communication tool being developed by Dan Brittain. We were curious to see whether this technology could work for Becky — and while there is still a lot to refine, the initial results were really encouraging. Dan has been fantastic at responding to our campaign and to our requests and delivering the new version for us to trial.
What Worked
Because Becky’s usable focal distance is around 3 metres, she usually can’t see anything on a laptop or iPad. Connecting the tool to a large TV made all the difference. For the first time in a while:
She could see the buttons and the red tracking dot clearly enough to try controlling them.
Becky was able to make small, intentional movements to move the dot and even reach letters on the screen. This is a modest but meaningful step forward.
Some of the day’s challenges
The trial also highlighted several areas where the tool will need adjustment to work effectively for Becky. However it was fun working with Becky and Bob again testing out the new tech. Here are some of the challenges:
Becky had just been put back into bed when I arrived so we had to wait for an hour for staff to assist her back into her chair.
Setting up the TV with the webcam I had hope the new Android TV would allow apps to be downloaded but it needed a laptop to control the webcam.
The Chromebook wouldn’t prioritise the external camera, so we couldn’t get it working there. It did work on a Windows laptop once we disabled the internal camera.
Because Becky moves slowly, she triggered letters accidentally; increasing the dwell-time before selecting could help.
There was some speech delay when using HDMI (possibly just an old cable), though laptop speakers worked fine.
Ideally she needs a webcam with auto-zoom so it can sit on top of the TV and keep her face in view. For now we improvised, and it worked well enough to test.
We weren’t able to use the zoom function on the webcam with the Windows setup.
Future Possibilities
We were also excited about whether, later on, a links or shortcuts page could be added for environmental controls (e.g., opening Netflix, controlling lights). Not essential now, but potentially helpful in the long term.
Overall
This was a small but promising first step. There’s still a lot of work to do, and plenty of adjustments needed before this could become a reliable communication method for Becky. But yesterday showed that with the right setup — especially a large display and suitable camera — nose tracking might be a viable option for her.
We’re extremely grateful to Dan for responding to our campaign and sharing the tool with us at this early stage, and we hope our feedback is useful as he continues developing it.
