Engineers at The Soundbeam Project Ltd., Bristol, UK, have approved Dream-Melody as suitable for use with Soundbeam equipment.

Soundbeam has been most extensively and thoroughly evaluated with children with Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities.

Dream-Melody consists of a cap containing three motion sensors and a switch box. Movement of the head - forwards, left and right - triggers the Soundbeam equipment allowing the user to create a range of musical expressions.

Mike

This week Naidex 2008 get underway at the NEC, Birmingham. This is an excerpt from the official web site:

"As the UK’s largest event for homecare, disability and rehabilitation, Naidex is your best opportunity to touch, test and compare all the latest new products and services available."

Naidex 2007 was the event we chose to launch Dream-Racer with support from QED our UK distributor. This year QED will be showing our new range of switch adapted Dream-Toys, as well as Dream-Racer and they will have information available covering all the other Dream-Products we have developed for disabled and special needs individuals. (Dream-Mouse, Dream-Gamer, Dream-Melody)

We've also planned a meeting with BSKYB to discuss a new TV product. We now have a switch adapted TV remote that works the on-screen electronic programme guide (EPG) used in a Sky receiver. We think this will create a lot of interest from Sky subscribers that have difficulty using the regular remote.

Next we plan to begin work on an adapted remote for digital set-top boxes that deliver the Freeview service.

More on this later.

Mike

In January we met up with Tim from The Soundbeam Project Ltd. We'd never met before and I think he was a little surprised when we asked if we could plug some new kit into his Soundbeam equipment.

Just in case you don't know what Soundbeam is or does take a look at their web site. But, in essence it is musical equipment that uses sensors to translate body movement into digitally generated sounds and images.

Here's the connection: Soundbeam uses body movement and our new kit, we call it Dream-Melody, is a trio of motion sensitive switches activated by head movement.  

Plugging Dream-Melody directly into the Soundbeam equipment allows users to create music through head movement.

Two minutes later, Roger, a music teacher at Woodlands Special Needs School, Plymouth, walked onto the stand and saw what we had and wanted to have a go. He got really excited about the possibility it could open up for some of his students. I don't remember whether he asked or we volunteered it but Roger took Dream-Melody back to Woodlands with him.

A few weeks later he sent us some pictures of his students in a music session using Dream-Melody and some suggestions for improvements.

Since them we've completed the design and Tim is taking it to the Soundbeam user forum later this month to demonstrate it to a larger group. More to follow.

Mike