The proposed Phase I R&D will establish the feasibility of a pocket-sized """"""""Talking Pen"""""""" device with pen-input and voice-output. This device would provide speech impaired mobile people a means of more easily communicating, to enable them to """"""""talk"""""""" with hearing persons. Current solutions based upon Personal/Portable Computers have two serious limitations. First, the computer/keyboard unit is not conveniently portable and certainly not pocket sized, and thus can not provide speech along with easy mobility. Second, typing is not an efficient input mechanism for real time conversation on a pocket-sized unit. The proposed """"""""Talking Pen"""""""" device is designed to overcome both of these limitations. A solution to the mobility limitation is enabled by the current trends in pen-input digitizers, recognition technology, and high density electronics. A solution to the input, efficiency limitation is offered by pen-input combined with a pen-input """"""""shorthand"""""""" language whose outline will be developed in Phase I.
