VirtualTEC

Logo de Android en rojo sobre teclado azul

Application designed to meet the needs of physically impaired people with very restricted controlled movement. It features a virtual keyboard aimed to be a means of alternative communication and thus improve their life quality. All fields and items are scanned, being highlighted as ‘active item’ the one in orange. To access the active item, a touch anywhere on the screen acts as input method. It also includes a voice synthesizer that reads aloud the messages provided by the user to third parties.

 

You can download it from Google Play. You can also download it from here: [wpdm_file id=28]

 

It is divided into the following fields:

  • Vowels.
  • Captura de pantalla que muestra la zona de barrido de VirtualTECConsonants.
  • Numbers.
  • Symbols.
  • Smileys.
  • Frequent actions (stored by the user himself).

  • End (when the user concludes a message to be sent to the speech synthetizer and saved in a database).

  • Save Frequent Action (the message will be read aloud by the TTS and will subsequently appear in the frequent action field).

  • Delete.

This application also provides a menu with different items: settings, recent messages, about and exit.

Regarding ‘Settings’ menu item, it offers the following possibilities:

  • Language (vowel and consonant order, voice synth configuration, etc. depending on the language).
  • Type (to select the number of items in the scanning area).
  • Scanning speed.
  • Speech Synthetizer (enabled/disabled)
  • Touch (to access a field or item by simply touching anywhere on the screen, or pressing and releasing anywhere to access the active item).

When selecting the ‘recent messages’ menu item, the system will display the last twenty messages communicated by the user by activating the ‘End’ field on VirtualTEC. The very last message will be the first on the list.

Finally, the menu item ‘About’ simply provides information about the VirtualTEC.

To make the voice synthesizer work:

  • For version 2.1: Go to page http://code.google.com/p/eyes-free/downloads/list and download packages “tts_3.1_market.apk” and “com.svox.langpack.installer_1.0.1.apk”. Install them on the device.

  • From version 2.2: Go to “Settings> Voice Input and Output”, click on “Settings speech synthesis” and then “Install voice data files.”

Vídeo

The next video explains the use of the app (in Spanish).

Reviews

Faro de Vigo: Investigadores gallegos diseñan un teclado virtual

Atlántico Diario: Teleco diseña un teclado virtual para discapacitados

La Voz de Galicia: Diseñan un teclado virtual para personas con discapacidad motora

Europa Press: Investigadores gallegos diseñan un teclado virtual que permite comunicarse a personas con discapacidad física

ABC: Un ingeniero vigués diseña un teclado virtual que palía discapacidad motora

Código Cero: Tecnoloxía galega en axuda das persoas con discapacidade motriz

Informática para la educación especial: VirtualTEC y MessageTTS, dos magníficas aplicaciones para la comunicación funcional con dispositivos basados en Android y Actualizaciones de VirtualTEC y MessageTTS, dos grandes aplicaciones Android para la comunicación aumentativa y alternativa

ARASAAC Blog: VirtualTEC: Teclado virtual por barrido para Android

App Circus: VirtualTEC