Home automation app opens doors for people with disabilities

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Home automation app opens doors for people with disabilities - Published on 12/03/14

UK based Therapy Box has released SmartHub for the iPad. The app fills a gap for many people with physical disabilities who want to be independently able to control home appliances using their preferred alternative access method. SmartHub allows those with disabilities to do those things most people take for granted by using a switch on a wheelchair or the iPad. Features include compatiblity with most Smart televisions, multiple settings to adjust the screen input and more.

London, United Kingdom - Turn on your light, change the TV channel or switch on a fan. These everyday actions that most people take for granted can be a challenge for people with reduced mobility. For people unable to operate these appliances in a conventional way, SmartHub offers them an easy and affordable solution so that they can control their household appliances via the app and interface which is customisable to suit people with a range of physical abilities including being able to use an external switch positioned on a wheelchair or tapping the iPad.

The app is the outcome of a year long project funded by Innovate UK enabling Therapy Box to work with the expertise of the students and professionals at Scope's Beaumont College who provided their input and feedback to help shape SmartHub.

Steve Mayall from Innovate UK commented, "Innovate UK is delighted to see Therapy Box achieve recognition through various awards this year for its innovative platforms and also to see the full commercialisation of the platform, aspects of which were co-funded by Innovate UK in partnership with Scope."

Rohan Slaughter, Assistant Principal at Scope's Beaumont College, says: "Technology has the potential to transform disabled peoples' lives. Disabled people often have to spend a fortune on specialist technology, or you can buy the devices that we all use, like iPads and Tablets, which are affordable but often inaccessible and hard to adapt." He added, "We would like to congratulate Therapy Box on the launch of their SmartHub product. They worked hard to make a product based on mainstream home automation technology, which they have made accessible to disabled people, by using an easy-to-use interface that can be accessed from a variety of smart devices. The students and staff at Scope's Beaumont College enjoyed testing the SmartHub product during its development and look forward to the public release."

Features:
* Create, customise and edit dashboards on your iPad to control your home appliances
* Visual scene dashboard provides a user interface that aids contextual decision making with intelligent reminders
* Buttons or hotspots can be assigned multiple actions
* Switch accessible for people who require alternative access to use a device
* Multiple settings to adjust the screen input to assist with a range of motor difficulties
* Smart social media feeds to help keep connected
* Compatible with most Smart televisions
* Compatible with LightWave products available at B&Q nationally
* Compatible with iTach hardware

About Scope
Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. Until then, we'll be here. We provide support, information and advice to more than a quarter of a million disabled people and their families every year. We raise awareness of the issues that matter. And with your support, we'll keep driving change across society until this country is great for everyone. Scope's Beaumont College offers both residential and day programmes in Lancaster, while our satellite services offer individuals a learning programme that is delivered closer to home. All of our College sites offer programmes for young people aged between 18 and 25 with a broad range of physical and/or learning disabilities. For more information go to www.scope.org.uk

About Innovate UK
Innovate UK is the new name for the Technology Strategy Board - the UK's innovation agency. Taking a new idea to market is a challenge. Innovate UK funds, supports and connects innovative businesses through a unique mix of people and programmes to accelerate sustainable economic growth. For further information visit www.innovateuk.org

Device Requirements:
* Compatible with iPad
* Requires iOS 7.0 or later
* 27.3 MB

Pricing and Availability:
SmartHub 1.0 is $79.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Medical category.

SmartHub 1.0: http://www.therapy-box.co.uk/smarthub.aspx
Purchase and Download: https://itunes.apple.com/app/smarthub-environmental-control/id912319760
Screenshot 1: http://a1.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple3/v4/1e/56/32/1e563210-90a7-5b85-cfe6-f03f7538d2e7/screen480x480.jpeg
Screenshot 2: http://a1.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple1/v4/52/1c/e3/521ce3cc-81da-ee70-8079-360ae08429d7/screen480x480.jpeg
App Icon: http://a3.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple3/v4/7c/44/f2/7c44f2b3-44f2-b5c1-c83b-2f08ff0a097e/icon175x175.jpeg


Therapy Box is a communication technology business specialising in creative and affordable communication and therapy apps for people of all ages and abilities. Its flagship products are Predictable, an award-winning app designed to provide a voice to someone who is unable to use their own, and ChatAble, an app that allows users to create symbol based-grids to aid communication, primarily for those with difficulties including autism, aphasia, motor neurone disease and apraxia. Therapy Box was founded in 2010 by speech therapist Rebecca Bright and telecoms and communications expert Swapnil Gadgil Therapy Box has been the recipient of numerous awards including a 2014 Queen's Award for Enterprise (Innovation), a 2014 Appsters Most Innovative App Award and a winner of the WIRED2014 Start Up Pitch. All Material and Software (C) Copyright 2014 Therapy Box. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.


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Link To Article: http://prmac.com/release-id-72098.htm
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