[In Memory of Hawking] Without this wheelchair, there would be no Hawking today!
Thread Content
In 1963, at the age of 21, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The disease caused his body to deform severely: his head could only tilt to the right, his shoulders were lower on the left side and higher on the right, his hands were held tightly together as he used a speaker keyboard the size of a palm, and his feet were twisted inward, with his mouth almost forming an S shape. ? For decades, such a distinctive image along with that wheelchair have become, before the whole world, a symbol of a genius scientist. This almost uniquely unique wheelchair in the world served not only as Hawking’s means of transportation but also formed part of his personal image. It is an artificial intelligence device that combines computer software, communication technology, infrared light, and voice converters; through it, Hawking’s thoughts can be converted into speech and text and communicated to the whole world. For half a century, the wheelchair has been almost everything to him, his “body”. At first, it was just a means of transportation, but as his condition progressed with ALS, his wheelchair became increasingly high-tech! Hawking, who could no longer walk, speak, or move his fingers, was able to lead a fulfilling life thanks to this wheelchair packed with cutting-edge technology!
Without this wheelchair, there would be no Hawking today! At first, Hawking got into an electric wheelchair and seemed to regain his lost youth, recalling the fast-paced days he spent on the Cambridge rowing team; this led to him developing a peculiar hobby of driving his wheelchair at top speed, careening around on sidewalks. ? Playing GIFs – sadly, Hawking didn’t have the mood for that for long. His condition began to deteriorate rapidly; he gradually lost his ability to speak, his speech became fragmented, and eventually only his family could understand what he meant.
? Unfortunately, Hawking soon lost this mood. His condition began to deteriorate rapidly; he gradually lost his ability to speak, his speech became fragmented, and eventually only his family could understand what he meant. Since Hawking could only control some of the muscles in his face, the technical team installed an interactive system kit (Assisted Context Awareness ToolKit, or ACAT) on his wheelchair, enabling him to type using almost any facial movement. ? Playing GIFs: The entire software can be operated with just one or two buttons. The cursor moves row by row across the alphabet displayed on the screen; Hawking simply needs to give the computer a confirmation command when the cursor passes over the letter he wants to input. ? Life can’t consist only of text; a company that develops text-to-speech synthesizers installed a CallText 5010 device on his wheelchair, using the text-to-speech processor available at the time. This allowed Hawking to \"speak\" after entering text, and the device became Hawking’s \"voice\" for many years.
Thanks to wheelchairs equipped with various cutting-edge technologies, Hawking was able to continue writing books, and it even allowed him to convey his messages more effectively than before. Later, Hawking was unable to move even his fingers; only some muscles in his face could still be moved. His graduate student assistant then designed a \"cheek switch\" device that was attached to his glasses frame, using infrared light to detect the movement of a muscle in Hawking’s right cheek. ? The principle is similar to the distance sensors found in smartphones: when Hawking contracts his facial muscles, the sensor detects this change in signal and sends a confirmation signal to the computer; Hawking only needs to make slight movements of his facial muscles while typing. ? Play GIF ? The most advanced solution uses infrared projection; on a 30-inch screen, it can achieve precision within 1 centimeter, allowing it to replace mouse operations to a certain extent. ? As Hawking’s facial muscles also began to degenerate, Intel Labs considered using eye-tracking technology and brainwave recognition techniques to improve his outdated wheelchair system, but these efforts had to be abandoned due to the rapid deterioration of Hawking’s condition.
In addition to providing computer-based support for Hawking’s wheelchair, the team also improved many aspects of its design, such as enhancing the ergonomic features, equipping it with more powerful control systems, and integrating health monitoring and life-support devices, so as to enable people with disabilities to lead a more convenient life. ? It is precisely because of technology that humanity can refuse to bow before fate and strive to be its own master. In addition to typing and language functions, engineers have also equipped wheelchairs with many convenient features such as one-click muting, quick search, task switching, sending and receiving messages, etc. Even Hawking was able to use a computer to access the Internet just like us.
In addition, there is a universal remote control on the wheelchair, used to operate all the smart devices in Hawking’s office and home. Things like televisions, audio equipment, air conditioning systems, door switches, lighting, and more – everything can be controlled remotely with just one click! This is what we now call smart home living! Hawking had experienced it long ago! A multi-functional sensing system that monitors his safety and that of the wheelchair at all times! Hawking’s health remains the most critical issue to monitor at all times, with a multi-functional sensing system built into his wheelchair. This system is capable of continuously monitoring Hawking’s various physiological indicators to assess his health status. ? Play GIFs. There is also monitoring of wheelchairs, recording their use, as well as detecting safety issues in the areas visited by wheelchairs.
According to rough estimates, purchasing a current version of the Hawking wheelchair would cost around $950,000 to $1 million (which is roughly 6 million RMB).
A highly respected scientist....