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E-MINTZA

With the e-Mintza project (a dynamic and customizable speech assisted hybrid system for people with communication barriers), the Fundación Orange and the Fundación Dr. Carlos Elósegui de Policlínica Gipuzkoa proposed the creation of a system to facilitate the communication for people without the ability to communicate either orally or in writing, putting special emphasis on children.

This initiative allows the user to communicate with others through verbal and non-verbal language and encourage its development through the use of multimedia technology. Specifically e-Mintza (translated from Basque meaning electronic speech), will pursue, research, develop and facilitate free and universal access to a mobile system a generation of digital sounds, easily customizable for the language used, texts, images, videos or sounds available, depending on the needs of the disability (non-verbal andor illiterate) user.

e-Mintza is aimed at various people with significant communication barriers, like autistic people, but given its customization feature, it can also be used by deaf children who still have not acquired language skills, people with severe intellectual disability, people affected by brain trauma disorders, elderly people with neurodegenerative diseases, people not able to express themselves, requiring intubation or assisted ventilation during their hospital stay, etc. There are various alternative communication systems or communicators however, they have the disadvantage of being costly and not allowing system customization tailored to the users real surroundings, while the latest scientific advances in the field of disability indicates that the best way to interact with people with communication barriers is precisely on customizable systems.

The Project is specifically centered on the study of existing multimedia technology in order to design a very intuitive and fully customizable interface for the specific needs of the user, which preferably interacts via a touch screen.

Moreover, e-Mintza is studying existing computer tools to find a solid piece of hardware easy to transport (Tablet, Notebook, PC, PDA, etc.) and cost-effective to advise families or support staff on the most appropriate for use. At the end of the project development, software for free downloadable from the Internet will be offered.

The evaluation of the different steps of the project counts on the collaboration of the Gautena Association for autistic people, while the technical development has the help of the Nesplora Company.

The technological development of the project e-Mintza has the support of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism's Avanza2 Plan .