Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI)
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The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) encourages technology solutions to specific public sector needs by inviting a broad range of companies to bid for funding provided by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Technology Strategy Board.
JISC TechDis promoted and managed two competitions specifically aimed at exploring and developing assistive technologies to support independent learning, working and living.
Making Waves looked at converting gesture (or sign) language into digital data. Converting gestures into text or audio output enables learners to communicate with other people. In addition, conversion to electronic command signals means that those with limited motor control can gain greater independence.
Plain Sailing focused on helping users to access, view, comprehend and navigate digital information independently and successfully. These champion the use of freely accessible Open Source software packages which can run on the latest technology platforms and give users a personal, customised portal.
Phase One
Phase One began in April 2011 when seven companies were funded to develop ‘proof of concept as part of a feasibility study. These projects are outlined below:
The University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
Somantics is a suite of therapeutic applications that use touch, vocalisation and gesture inputs to capture and augment the communicative desires of young people with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). The project is designed to meet the needs of a range of learners with ASC by addressing one of the core problems that impact on social communication – anxiety and the resulting feelings of poor self-worth.
Gamelab, London
Gamelab explored the use of open technologies to apply “natural interaction” tracking to gesture recognition through sensors, such as those used in Microsoft’s Kinect. The technology has the potential to offer users the ability to communicate and express their needs more naturally without the technologies that normally get in the way, or mark them out as different.
Technabling Ltd, Aberdeen
Technabling Ltd developed a software prototype for translating sign language into text and commands, capable of working with a wide range of handheld camera-enabled devices, such as smart phones, notebooks and tablet PCs and using open-source operating systems.
The solution is designed to enable people who experience communication difficulties to overcome the consequences of their impairment, empowering them with easy to use and unobtrusive devices that allow them to more easily express themselves and re-integrate them into the community.
BookScholar Project Ltd, Bradford
The BookScholar project allows users with disabilities the freedom to access books in digital format and ensure that obstacles and barriers to learning are reduced.
A secure online portal provides users with access to textbooks in accessible format. The portal will allow access to content using various assistive aids in order to personalise the reading experience of learners. The concept will make use of cloud computing in order to allow users to read books from any computer, laptop or mobile device with no requirement to install assistive aids on each piece of hardware.
iansyst Ltd, Cambridge
iansyst developed a multi-platform, accessible document conversion & management tool. MyDocStore uses cloud, desktop and mobile based file management and address the missing link in accessible transfer of files with users’ preferences for accessing all forms of digital resources.
Portset systems Ltd, Fareham
The EasiPAD project provides a freely accessible, open source software package which can run on a wide range of ‘ipads’ and provide a flexible user interface capable of being used by people who are visually impaired. The project attempts to address visual impairment by building usability and accessibility into new technologies that will become more common place in the near future.
System Associates, Maidenhead
System Associates created a portable software application that exploits recent advances in text mining and text analysis technologies. The aim is to investigate a means of processing documents to provide a range of accessibility enhancements, regardless of the original format, and deliver these in a way that will significantly improve the experience of the reader.
The proof of concept involved creating a text analyser that automatically generated navigation points and extracted navigable keywords and facts, as well as two purpose-built readers.
Phase One finished in October 2011 and all seven companies were successful in developing a proof-of-concept. All seven companies have engaged with the end users in the research and development of the phase 1 out puts.
Phase Two
The tendering and assessment process for Phase Two is now complete. Phase 2 is the principle research and development and it is expected to produce a well defined prototype. Projects that successfully complete Phase 2 could then be commercialised and in principle be offered to government departments and others under a procurement process.
We issued a joint announcement with BIS and TSB on 9th January 2012.
