Hi Erin

I will give you a quick résumé of what I am doing with my ALS/MND clients with environmental control;

i) Proteor Keo, http://assistive.technology.proteor.com/family,120-environmental-control-unit.php

Nice compact touch screen IR controller, with many access options, including interfacing with wheelchair joystick that works particularly well in combination with their mouse interface. It’s easy to reprogam (can be done without a PC if necessary) and learns new IR codes easily.  Needs care when plugging the charger in and out though.

ii) Abilia Control Prog, http://www.abilia.org.uk/produkter/produkt.aspx?productgroup=113160&product=113223

Nice compact and robust IR controller that runs on 4 x AAA batteries for up to a year (ideal for poor care environments but has wider use). It has a fixed display but has 15 levels, and although this sounds challenging, an appropriate choice of icons allows the whole system to be used effectively (I have clients with Learning Disability using multi-level set ups). It has lots of programming flexibility (many scanning options and great macro facilities that gets around many limitation of being a fixed display system). It has a good ‘remote scanning’ function that allows the user to control a further device (such as a switch operated SGD) through its single switch input. A real ‘bread and butter’ device

iii) Smartbox Servus 10, http://www.smartboxat.com/products/servus-tablet/

PC tablet-based IR/RF controller that incorporates SGD (Grid2 based) and full ‘connectivity’. I have now used a few of these in combination with a Smartnav and found it an effective solution that can be converted to switch use as appropriate. However, being PC-based, where alerting is safety critical, I have insisted on a standalone alarm/pager to accompany it.

iv) Unique Perspective Ltd Housemate, http://www.click2go.ie/products/environmental-controls/infrared-transmitters/housemate-mobile/

Nice IR/RF controller. Just started using this and very excited by it. It uses a smart phone as its display via Bluetooth, giving full access to the phone as well, but has a standalone alerting function. Has a built-in switch as well as an input socket. The link is to the old version. The new version looks funkier, but more importantly, has a 5-way input socket for control via a wheelchair joystick. In my mind this is the future.

v) Eyegaze systems; I have no experience of EC using eyegaze systems, except playing with a Tobii C12, which seems OK, so the i-series devices should be good, but my preference would probably be to set up a Servus10 as a TobiiEye Mobile

vi) Voice control; not likely to be a regular choice for this client group and I have steered away from them in the past as they required a lot of TLC, but new systems are much easier and obviously smartphone-based systems have a big advantage here.

v) as a p.s. my mainstay is an SRS/Possum, Intellec, which isn’t available any more, but I have a stock (sorry!)

regards

Jeremy