Initial studies by the Newcastlenteam – who are based in the University’s Digital Interaction Group in Culture Lab, part of the School of Computing Science – have focussed on the acceptability of Glass. They have been working with a group of Parkinson’s volunteers aged between 46-70 years.
Now they are working on the next stage of the project, using the technology to provide discreet prompts linked to key behaviours typical of Parkinson’s, such as reminding the individual to speak up or to swallow to prevent drooling. Glass can also be used as a personal reminder for things such as medication and appointments.
The team will also be exploring how the motion sensors in Glass can be used to support people with ‘freezing’, a behaviour caused by motor blocking a common symptom of Parkinson’s.
