Although there are several companies manufacturing adapted fitness equipment for people with disabilities, there are few companies producing such equipment for the blind and visually impaired population. The object of this project was to adapt a stationary bicycle, the LifeCycle 9500HR, for use by persons with visual impairments, with the possibility of expanding the solution to include other fitness equipment using similar display systems.
The LifeCycle 9500HR is currently manufactured with user input/output via a membrane keypad and LED display. Instructions for use of the bike are printed in relatively small print on the face of the membrane touchpad. The user has several levels of choice when using the bike, and each choice is displayed on the LED output of the display.
Thus, the visually impaired user needs a method to receive instructions, find and choose the desired workout option, and receive feedback about the choices made.
The recommendation provided included solutions for all three needs listed. The first recommendation was that clear braille labels be placed in the appropriate locations on the membrane keypad, indicating the setting each button controls. This provided a method for the user to find and choose the desired workout option.
The second recommendation was to make a voice output system for the cycle. The circuitry controlling the visual output display was easily routed through a circuit including a microprocessor (the Basic Stamp II) and a ROM board configured to store vocal messages (the QuickVoice VM-420E). The microprocessor was used to determine what option the user had chosen and send a signal to the ROM board to play the corresponding vocal message. This provided a method for giving feedback to the user about the choices he made.
The final recommendation was to use the surplus ROM to store messages relating instructions for use of the machine, and play those messages at the appropriate time during the cycle set-up, as programmed into the microprocessor. This provided a method for giving instructions to the user.
Output was provided via a headphone jack, which could receive the recommended headphone, the Koss GT/4 (recommended because it has an independent volume control inline). An amplifier was required to increase the volume of the ROM output to perceptible levels for headphone use.
(No cost analysis included)
The method used to solve this problem could easily be applied to any piece of equipment that has a keypad input and an LED output display. The easiest application would be to equipment whose output display consists of single LEDs, since each output LED may then be coupled with a specified message on the ROM board. Applications to equipment that utilizes refreshable LED segment displays will depend on the complexity of the interface and the processing power of the microprocessor.
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