How does Prof Stephen Hawking program his speech. I read that it was by 'tapping', but how exactly?

Answer 1

Hawking gradually lost the use of his arms, legs, and voice, and is now almost completely paralyzed. The computer system attached to his wheelchair is operated by Hawking via an infra-red 'blink switch' clipped onto his glasses. By scrunching his right cheek up, he is able to talk, compose speeches, research papers, browse the World Wide Web, and write e-mails. The system also uses radio transmission to provide control over doors in his home and office.

During a visit to the research centre CERN in Geneva in 1985, Hawking contracted pneumonia, which in his condition was life-threatening. It resulted in acute difficulty of breathing, which could only be overcome through a tracheotomy by which Stephen Hawking lost his natural speech ability.

He has since used an electronic voice synthesizer to communicate. The voice synthesizer, which has an American accent, is of a model that is no longer produced. Asked why he has still kept it after so many years, Hawking mentioned that he has not heard a voice he likes better and because he identifies with it.

Hawking is said to be looking for a replacement since, other than being obsolete, the synthesizer, a DECtalk DTC01 is now considered large and fragile but as of present, finding a software alternative has been difficult.

During a lecture in Hong Kong in June 2006, he joked that if he got a new one with a French accent, his wife would divorce him.

Computer

Hawking receives a new computer every 18-24 months donated by Intel. The most recent computer was donated in April of 2005 and is based on the Centrino chipset. It consists of two pieces, a rear chassis which houses 3 160Whr batteries and various external peripherals, and a front chassis, which houses a Tablet-PC and the speakers which project his hardware-synthesized voice.

The two chassis are connected via a custom-designed umbilical cable which allows power and electrical signals to travel back and forth. Hawking's computer can run for up to 16 hours without needing a recharge.

The computer utilizes a wireless data card that runs on mobile phone networks. This allows Hawking to check his email and browse the web while away from a wireless LAN network. Hawking can also make and receive voice phone calls via a mobile phone with an external microphone in front of his computer speakers.

Answer 2

Unable to talk or move his hands and legs, Hawking can only make tiny facial expressions using the muscles around his eyes, eyebrows, cheek and mouth. He uses a computer attached to his wheelchair to talk for him in a synthesized voice by choosing words on a computer screen through an infrared sensor on a headpiece that detects motion in his cheek.

Answer 3

You obviously never had a "Speak and Spell" when you were growing up. I feel bad for you for that fact alone.

Anyway, the machine Hawking uses to talk is really just a supped up Speak and Spell, where certain combinations of his cheek movements equate to certain phrases, and he just was forced to learn the combinations, just like a deaf person has to learn the finger combinations for sign language.

Answer 4

Prof Stephen Hawkings uses "The Force".....A briliant man to aspire to, a truely awesome guy.

Answer 5

I have heard that he still has the ability to use some muscles in his cheek, he uses these to scroll through words on a screen and select those that he wants.

Answer 6

He replaced into the 1st guy to confirm in case you utilize a maid and nurse determine you look at their references first and not their titties. Allegedly they used to conquer him and be merciless.

Answer 7

His movements in his cheek allow him to choose words on his computer.

Answer 8

Did you hear that's he's about to fly off into space? It's on Yahoo.

Answer 9

you're both wrong. it's he's and you remove the s from that's