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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Word of Mouse"
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
48 kbps |
96 kbps
(90 seconds)
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READER SCRIPT
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LET YOUR VOICE BE YOUR GUIDE... THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. SOMEONE CAN USE ONLY THEIR VOICE--AND A DEVICE CALLED A "VOCAL JOYSTICK"--TO SURF THE WEB, WITHOUT EVER TOUCHING A MOUSE. EACH SOUND IS A COMMAND: SOUNDS LIKE "OO", "EE", AND "AH" TO MOVE IN ONE OF EIGHT DIRECTIONS--AND THE "CH" OR "K" SOUND TO CLICK ON SOMETHING. THE SOFTWARE--DEVELOPED FOR PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES--IS THE BRAINCHILD OF RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, WHO HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED VERSIONS FOR DRAWING AND GAMING--NOT TO MENTION THE NEWEST ONE, WHICH OPERATES A ROBOTIC ARM. YOU'VE GOT TO ADMIT THAT ALL THESE "WORD-OF-MOUSE" NOISES MAY SEEM STRANGE. BUT, THE DEVELOPERS SAY THAT ONE GETS USED TO THEM QUICKLY--AND THAT EXPERIENCED USERS CAN GET AROUND THE SCREEN JUST AS FAST AS MOUSERS. THEY'VE BEEN TESTING THE SYSTEM WITH SPINAL-CORD-INJURY PATIENTS AT THE U-W MEDICAL CENTER. TO THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE ANOTHER EFFICIENT WAY TO USE A COMPUTER, THE EASE OF OPERATION, LOW COST, AND SPEED OF THE "VOCAL JOYSTICK" ALL COMBINE TO GIVE THEM A VOICE IN CONTROLLING THEIR WORLD. THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV--OR ON THEIR PODCAST.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
