Neurocommunicator®: Communication Support for Patients
As a means of communication for people who cannot easily move their bodies due to an illness or an accident, AIST has been developing a device for communication aid via brain waves called the "Neurocommunicator®". This device will enable people who struggle to speak or write to communicate by simply focusing attention on picture cards on a computer monitor, selecting one of numerous messages stored in a database such as "I want to roll over to my other side" and "I want to brush my teeth," and displaying this using a computer-generated character, or an avatar. AIST is currently testing the device on patients at home and adding improvements to commercialize it as soon as possible. By using a robot avatar, AIST also aims to enable not only dynamic gestures and expressions but also communication with people in remote places.