Restoring a person’s ability to communicate, move, and retain a level of independence is what the Scott-Morgan Foundation demonstrates in the above video. This open-source solution is modular allowing it to be customized to meet the needs of the individual.
The avatar of Erin Taylor, a 24-year-old woman recently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), introduces the above video. The demonstration highlights this Scott-Morgan Foundation-led effort to preserve Taylor’s voice, personality, and physical mannerisms.
This is another milestone in a journey started in 2017 by the organization’s namesake, Peter Scott-Morgan. Scott-Morgan, also known as the human cyborg, augmented the abilities he lost to Motor Neurone Disease with software, electronics, and robotics.
Rapid Advancements Continue #
With the rise of Generative AI and the continuing advancement of robotics, it is easier and cheaper than ever to preserve a person’s voice, allow them to engage in real-time conversations, or navigate a self-driving wheelchair through eye movements.
Self-driving wheelchairs promise safety improvements. This article indicates that there are 100k annual visits to the emergency room due to wheelchair accidents. This is out of a population of approximately 3 million wheelchair users.
In an email exchange, LaVonne Roberts, Executive Director of the Scott-Morgan Foundation indicates, that since CES, they have additional partnerships and options for regenerating a person’s voice. She writes that the quality is better than the voice of Erin’s avatar in the above video.
Plus, it no longer requires a studio recording to capture the voice. A smartphone or a short social media video can provide the quality necessary to train the generative AI model.
An Open Source Village #
The Scott-Morgan Foundation is a focal point to advance the work of Peter Scott-Morgan. The open-source approach brings together a variety of technologies and expertise to create something greater than the sum of the parts. The modular approach promises the best solution for a given individual.
Participants in the demonstration at the Showstoppers CES event include:
- Hyper-realistic, AI-powered avatar from DeepBrain AI and Lenovo
- On-device, personal LLM for predictive, generative AI from Lenovo
- Eye-gaze tracking and AAC communication platform converging multimodal inputs, including eye tracking, ear, tongue, and wheelchair controls from IRISBOND
- Smart independent mobility platform from LUCI Mobility
- Circular keyboard interface from The Scott-Morgan Foundation
- In-ear biometric control technology from EarSwitch
- Tongue-operated, hands-free touchpad from Augmental
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