Wireless Enabled Remote Co-presence (WERC)
From The Collaboratory
Wireless Enabled Remote Co-presence (WERC) for the cognitively & behaviorally challenged Students are developing and testing the prototype developed from research during summer 2008, conducted in collaboration with the staff of SymBionyx, a local company that hopes to market WERC. The initial working prototype will be improved, based on the latest emerging technology alternatives. See below for details about SymBionyx, and the vision for WERC.
SymBionyx develops innovative solutions to assist late adolescents and young adults who have high functioning Autism or Asperger’s Disorder. SymBionyx employs coaching services, for diagnostic, job and life skills, together with tools of communication technology designed to unlock the potential of its clients as they transition into the workforce and independent living. Currently, as many as 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with some form of autism, with degrees of impairment ranging across what is called the Autism Spectrum. Although autistic individuals at the lower functioning end of the spectrum may never become capable of competitive employment or independent living, those diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder or Asperger’s Disorder have a higher functioning form of autism. While those with Asperger’s Disorder commonly experience deficits in social functioning, such a challenge need not preclude either their employability or independent living. SymBionyx offers them the remedial training and life skills coaching oriented to Asperger’s-specific deficits that can enhance potential employability and full capacities for independent living . SymBionyx exists to uniquely serve this employable-but-for-remediation subset of the Autism Spectrum population. SymBionyx addresses this gap in service capacity by developing a comprehensive solution known as SocialWERC. SocialWERC combines one-on-one job coaching with a skills training process supported by proprietary wireless communications technology.
The technology aspect of the SymBionyx’s SocialWERC solution relies on a proprietary concept called Wireless Enabled Remote Co-presence (WERC). WERC reconfigures existing wireless communications hardware into a multi-component device involving associated technologies and services (hereafter referred to as WERCware). WERCware enables new forms of training and support for behaviorally, socially and/or cognitively challenged children and adults. With one important qualification, the multi-component WERCware device acts as a training-specific adaptation of current generation multifunction cell phones including separate wireless Bluetooth™ headsets, and several additional discrete wirelessly-connected components. These additional components include a voice headset and a cell phone-type micro-video camera that can be unobtrusively attached to or within a trainee’s eyeglasses, nametag, or placed almost anywhere else. Most significantly, WERC permits a remote coach or trainer, located virtually anywhere else, to share his/her trainees’ point of view—that is, to see and hear exactly what they are seeing and hearing, in real time or, retroactively by “instant replay.”
The coach can then discuss and advise them about what is happening, without the context-distorting effects of being physically present in their situation, the only way in-situ training can currently be done. Other WERC features permit further significant enhancements over existing onsite job-training capabilities. To cite only one: Long after formal job coaching is completed, clients or their employers may elect to continue subscribing to a WERCware-based support service— as a sort of job crisis Onstar™ for Asperger’s Disorder or Anger Management—where a WERCware client who senses an impending crisis, can request active monitoring, and get counsel from a remote coach, to avert a crisis. Or, if a situation developed too quickly to actually avert the crisis, a WERCware remote coach could at least support a client soon enough after a crisis to permit damage control, and possibly facilitate recovery, after reviewing “instant replay” audio and video of the event, from the client’s point of view. SymBionyx is currently developing a pilot program to provide job coaching and training services, along with a device prototype. A team of Messiah College students supervised by faculty and SymBionyx staff will design, develop and test the prototype.
Summary
Wireless Enabled Remote Co-presence (WERC) technology is focused on increasing the employability potential of individuals suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism. WERCware consists of an assistive technology that provides a last mile coaching opportunity for these socially and/or cognitively challenged individuals. WERC permits a remote coach or trainer to see and hear what the client sees and hears, in real time.
Engineering Team
Purpose statement
Goals
Design and develop a prototype of a working mobile audio-video solution which has the following specifications:
- Wifi networking capability using 802.11b,g or n
- The ability to seamlessly transfer between wireless access point
- A delay of less than 1 second between real time and what the coach observes.
- A microphone audio range of 2-3ft
- A visual range of 120 degrees
- Video quality of 1.3 megapixel with frame rate of 25fps
Our hope is to achieve this by the end of 2009/2010 school year
Milestones
- Obtain necessary processor, wireless adapter, and other paraphernalia – December 2009
- Successful video transmission – February 2010
- Develop appropriate microphone, headset and camera apparatus – April 2010
Deliverables
Software Team
Purpose Statement
Goals
Milestones
Deliverables
Humanities Team
Purpose Statement
Goals
Milestones
Deliverables
History
Team
Engineering Team
Software Team
Humanities Team
Resources
Documentation
CO:Wireless Enabled Remote Co-presence (WERC) Project/08-09 Project Planning Article
CO:Wireless Enabled Remote Co-presence (WERC) Project/09-10 Project Planning Article
CO:Wireless Enabled Remote Co-presence (WERC) Project/10-11 Project Planning Article
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