Eina project (University of Valencia)

Scientists at the Robotics Institute of the University of Valencia in Spain (UV) have created a software tool for helping people with autism to control their environment and achieve higher levels of autonomy, according to sources with the academic institution in a statement .

This tool is integrated into the project EINA, which consists of an application, still in prototype sentence, which can be installed in mobile phones, laptops, etc.. Through a customizable graphical user menu, people with disabilities, both physical and intellectual, can communicate with the elements around to knowledge and control. This communication is made possible by some devices called motes, which allow the installation and maintenance of a wireless network easily.

The first version of the project, funded by the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (Imserso), Ministry of Health and Social Policy, has allowed the development of a prototype that allowed people with disabilities know the devices available in your area daily, as on and off all sorts of appliances and switches through the new mobile device.

The Unit investigator for Autism and Learning Difficulties UV, Javier Sevilla, said today, "has developed the most complex part of the project but still needs more funding for its completion.

On the one hand, he added, "to further develop more features and, secondly," to offer the project in an easily installable and with appropriate guarantees of stability. " In this way 'would not be a prototype and a product could happen very beneficial for people with disabilities, "he said.

The aim of EINA, who has enjoyed the cooperation of the Valencian Association of Cerebral Palsy (Avapace), is to allow the control and knowledge of the environment to people with disabilities. Situations as usual for most people such as turning on the light in a room, turn off the radio or catch a lift are inaccessible to many groups with limited mobility.

Generally, the problem of many people with cognitive impairment is not so much control around him but know him. There are many people with autism who need to know what's in their environment and how they can use, the sources explained.

For example, a person with autism to get home, and likes music though, may need to indicate a way to turn on the radio, since it is in their free time, and how. "This is possible because many of them need help to know what activities they can do at any given time, as also choose them. This type of support would be provided by EINA within its line of Knowledge of the environment, "said Sevilla.

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