Can games technologies like Kinect prove useful in helping people with learning difficulties to communicate? In this presentation from Digital Shoreditch (#ds12) Jonathan Hassell - co-lead of uKinect - gives a brief glimpse into how uKinect is helping young people who use Makaton to improve their signing, and helping other people who do not sign to understand signing. He also highlights the potential for technologies that are designed to help disabled people to often break into the mainstream as innovative new directions in product design.

1. Gesture Recognition Games
@jonhassell #ds12

2. The problem
“Communication is a basic human right.
Communication is the means through which we control our existence.
It is the way we make friends and build relationships.
It is the way we become independent and make choices.
It is the way we learn” (BILD, 2007).
• many scenarios where learners with disabilities lack independence due to
an inability to communicate by speech or due to lack of motor control
• communication may involve having to write down or manually input
information into a device
• may be manageable for communicating simple concrete things to people
who are physically close
• for more sophisticated communication it is slow, inadequate and ultimately
disabling

3. Our target audiences

4. Possible solution
“If signs and gestures can be
easily learned, recognized
and converted to digital data,
a whole new world of
opportunity opens up.”

5. The technology enabler

6. User-focused innovation
Great Technology
User needs innovations
possibilities

7. First steps to a solution

8. Phase Two

9. Users and contexts of use
Users with comms
difficulties Supporters of these users:
through LDs, Autism, colleagues, teachers,
stroke carers, parents
Signing
e-Learning game
Education Employment Independent
Living

10. The potential of reverse inclusion: OXO Good Grips
• Well-known pioneer of Inclusive Design
in the USA
• Sam Farber’s wife, a keen cook,
suffered from arthritis
“Why do ordinary kitchen tools hurt
your hands?”
• First 15 products launched in 1990
• Sales growth over 35% per year from
1991 to 2002
• The line has now grown to over 500
products
• Over 100 design awards received
Centre for Business Innovation
“Connected Communities, helping you Do more with - 10 - Engineering Design Centre
Less”
© 2011 Centre for Business Innovation Ltd

11. Training & Innovation
support
for
embedding
Standards
Strategy &
research
www.hassellinclusion.com

12. Thank you

13. e: jonathan@hassellinclusion.com
t: @jonhassell
w: www.hassellinclusion.com
With thanks to: TechDis, BIS
and the Technology Strategy Board