The Possibilities of iRobot

Did you see the story in the New York Times about the robot Ava that is being developed? You can find the article by Christopher Drew here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/technology/for-irobot-the-future-is-getting-closer.html. The technology being developed by iRobot Corporation and other robotics companies are really amazing. According to the article, Mr. Colin Angle Of iRobot hopes that robots may one day be more actively used within healthcare for remote forms of care and personal assistance and by businessmen for remote meetings and office functions. Personally, I would love it if iRobot were successful, and not because I own stock in their company. Similar to others who grew up watching The Jetsons, I envision using robots one day. My dream is to have a robotic navigational system powered by solar and rechargeable battery that can help me navigate. I would love to be able to program a robot about where I needed to go, and have it help me by insuring I could find the right train or bus, sidewalk, and entrance. The robot would be able to scan to read signs, bus numbers, product labels, price tags and building directories. The robot would walk along with me insuring that I found my way and devising an alternative route if construction or other obstacles got in my way. Imagine the power of a guide, reader, and GPS for a pedestrian and person using public transportation, all combined into a single robot. The best part is this technology could be used for those with visual impairments, but also for those developing cognitive limitations. It could be used to supplement the work of orientation and mobility specialists, physical and occupational therapists, and by those in the hospitality industry. Of course I would like to use a robot at work to perform office functions and to give remote presentations. I would really be happy if a robot could do my laundry complete with ironing and folding, and who wouldn’t want a robot that could mix a favorite cocktail or get that morning cup of coffee… I sure hope iRobot thinks about people of all ages and abilities using these robots and not just being served by them. I want a woman caring for her husband with Alzheimer’s disease to be able to setup one of these robots, even if her computer knowledge is minimal. I use screen reader assistive technology that reads some of what is on a computer screen to me, and I want to program one of these robots. I would like to work with it, not simply be served by a robot someone else has to control. Perhaps an example would help. Microsoft has always thought of accessibility as a secondary concern, and historically has counted on third parties to make their operating system and software accessible. Sadly, because millions of users are an afterthought, many mainstream products have serious limitations, even today. For example, I can read a Power Point presentation someone else creates with a screen reader, but I can’t create my own using screen reader assistive technology. Adobe is no better with their presentation software, Adobe Connect, used for webinars. Adobe made some of the features for the participant accessible, but I can’t create the presentation. Microsoft and Adobe make the same shortsighted assumption that a person using a screen reader will be in the audience, not the person creating and giving the presentation. And this outdated view of technological development is leaving many people with disabilities and people born before the tech boom behind. I hope iRobot becomes a leader in accessibility and inclusion at all levels of their product design. Millions of potential robot users in business and health care settings have a disability or aren’t extremely comfortable with technology. Plus, iRobot is going to be marketing their products to government agencies and health care providers who are required to comply with the ADA. These public entities and healthcare organizations will have to be thinking about accessibility for those they serve and their employees. If robots are truly going to become our personal and professional helpers in the future, I sure hope everyone will be able to work with them.

Stories from my Commute: The Diversity of Kindness

Boston has a real eclectic appeal. In part this is due to the annual influx of people into the area for college and university study. People worldwide are also attracted to work in Boston because of the technical sciences and health care industries. Boston’s history of immigration, ethnic neighborhoods, and present-day diversity representing much of the globe add to the sense of multiculturalism, and provide the variety of sights, sounds, and flavors of the city. While many view this diversity as contributing to an atmosphere of unfriendliness, this doesn’t describe the whole of my experience. Just in the past couple of weeks, I had a woman from Hong Kong, a man from India, a French Canadian woman, and a female and male of Western European descent from New England each offer me assistance. These individuals, not only represented diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, but a variety of life stages as well. One woman offered to cross a busy intersection with me, which was nice. People with low vision are taught to wait for the parallel traffic to start before crossing an intersection; however, the walk signal doesn’t always correspond exactly with this traffic flow. And besides, in Boston drivers and pedestrians alike don’t always pay much attention to walk signals. In this case, I knew the walk signal was on, but the parallel traffic hadn’t started yet. The woman simply said, “Would you like to cross with me?” Her offer was made with self-assurance that made being on the receiving end of the offer pleasant. A woman I see once in a while on my way home came up, said hello, and provided friendly chat as we walked toward our homes. Her friendliness is not only welcome at the end of a long work day, but allows me to get home with a bit more ease. In one of the other cases, a man asked if he could help me get on the train I needed at Park Street station; I was all set, but the offer was thoughtful. And still another guy let me know there was a baby carriage just inside the door of the train and I should stay to my left. This was a descriptive offer of help for not only me, but also the mother with the cute baby sleeping in the carriage. A final example was a man who approached an intersection where I was waiting to cross, paused beside me, and said you can cross now. These simple words were helpful because it was a crossing with no traffic light. It struck me this week how my disability opens me up to the experience of having brief but friendly interactions with people from a diverse set of backgrounds. These random acts of kindness have proven to be a hallmark of the Boston area and some days a real helping hand. As a bonus, these experiences give a true portrait of immigration in this country, and do not match the negative rhetoric I frequently hear.

Stories From My Commute: The Ridiculous Things People Say

Envision a blind woman walking along the sidewalk on a moderately busy city street using a cane. The sidewalk has cracks and bumps in it and there are some oddly placed poles. A male, whom she does not know, approaches on her right and passes her. As he does, he says, “You should really practice walking on this route.” Really? This was one time when I couldn’t think fast enough to say anything. Thankfully, I ran into him again about a week later. He had the nerve to say to me “you’re doing good today.” I said, well when you lose your vision or one of your other senses, then you can judge, but until then be thankful for what you have. After all, you’re going to get older and it’s going to happen to more people like you. And I think you’ll find that the world isn’t all that set up for you. All things considered, I think I was pretty nice. Humor me, and picture a blind woman moving through a crowded train station built decades ago. The trains rumble in with high pitch squeaks. Sounds echo and people are moving in all different directions. A woman comes face-to-face with the blind woman and says “watch out”. Really? I am not sensitive to language as a general rule. I ‘saw’ the item in the news, and I ‘watch’ movies. I can concede that no other warning jumped to the woman’s mind; maybe she hadn’t had her morning shot of caffeine. It’s also possible that she wasn’t all that bright, or was unaware of what the cane meant. After all, there can still be some shock associated with blind people moving about in society.

Stories from my commute: The Possum

Recently on my commute I experienced two different situations that were equally unhelpful. Both involved an individual who stood perfectly still. I might not have remembered either of these events, but because they both occurred on my way to work in a single morning, they have stayed with me. For those of you who do not know me personally, I navigate through the world with a cane. IN this age of high tech, I know it seems ridiculous that the only two options for independent mobility for people who have low or no sight are a dog guide or a cane. Regrettably no one has applied his or her knowledge of robotics to independent orientation and mobility. I keep hoping that instead of target seeking drones, the amazing techno geeks can develop a navigational guiding system for people with low or no vision. However this idea probably warrants its own blog entry, and I should get back to my story. It was the typical morning; I’d started moving with the assistance of my cat, who persistently requested her breakfast, and two cups of donut shop coffee. I made myself presentable for work, shut off the Keurig, and scratched the sleeping cat before heading out the door. I passed the guy distributing The Metro to the morning commuters, and had just scanned my card to gain entry to the train. I was moving from the gate to the stairwell leading to the train platform when my cane hit a still form. I attempted to move to one side to reach the stairwell, but there was a stream of people moving beside me. I waited for an opening and moved over to get to the stairwell. I had to be more cautious than usual because I couldn’t use the railing to help identify the stairs. As I passed the obstacle, I realized it was an individual leaning up against the start of the handrail at the top of the stairs. After I passed him I heard him mumble sorry. I remember thinking “jerk”, but to the best of my ability, I kept moving with the flow of people who were hoping to get on the incoming train. I suppose it’s possible that he was glued to that spot for a sociological study or handcuffed to the railing as a practical joke, but it was probably just a complete disregard for others and a lack of awareness of the trouble he was causing. I reached downtown where I switch trains, and while I was waiting, I ran into a train acquaintance, Nancy. We greeted one another and exchanged pleasantries as we waited. The wait was longer than usual, and as a result, our train was crowded. When the train reached our stop, I moved to get off. I got to the three steps leading to the door of the train, and there stood a guy with his backside pressed up against the railing. I was able to carefully navigate down the steps and onto the platform, again wondering what the heck was wrong with people and why this guy felt he had to guard the handrail. Was he really so frightened at the prospect of a blind person moving to get off the train that he was unable to move? It flashed through my mind that if he’d fallen over I would have some circumstantial evidence for an evolutionary anomaly that made him like a possum. As I started down the platform toward the station exit, I realized that Nancy was struggling. She got stuck in the doorway of the train and had to yell to get the conductor to allow her the time to get off the train. The self-appointed handrail guard hadn’t moved, and I knew Nancy had a bad knee. I was really concerned Nancy was going to fall, so I turned back in case I could be helpful. I stood long enough to know she was off the train and no harm had come to her. I hope that the possums got the message and move next time. There is a reason for handrails: Access to handrails help prevent fall related injuries and deaths by providing guidance or support for people as they navigate stairs. By playing possum you may be increasing the risk that someone could fall and get seriously hurt. While it is true that most falls happen in one’s home, a fall getting on or off a train could be devastating. If the potential harm to someone isn’t enough to convince you, just think of the inconvenience the train delays would cause you if someone fell and needed medical attention.