2009 SWIFT Fund Prize awarded to mind speller project
Catholic University of Leuven project develops new generation of communication tool for people with serious motor disabilities
Published on 05 Mar 2010
The Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) has been awarded the SWIFT Prize for its project concerning an intelligent verbal and textual communication device (mind speller) for people with motor disabilities.
The prize giving took place on Wednesday 24th February at SWIFT headquarters in La Hulpe.
The prize was awarded by Marcel Bronmans, Head of HR, Baron Lamfalussy, Chairman of the SWIFT Fund and Bruno van Lierde, Chairman of the SWIFT Fund Jury and Vice President of The Boston Consulting Group.
For its 12th call for projects, the SWIFT Fund has decided to award the SWIFT Prize of EUR 50,000 to the KUL team to develop a new generation of communication tool in its Computational Neuroscience Research Group of the Laboratory for Neuro- & Psychophysiology (Medical School) for people with serious motor impairment. Professor Van Hulle and his team or researchers have modified the paradigm of the current mind speller model as well as the software that decodes a patient’s brain activity thanks to a portable and non-invasive device.
"Communication and innovation are part of SWIFT’s values, and it’s great to be able to support this kind of initiative."
Users, who will mainly be stroke victims and those with other neurological conditions, will be able to communicate with those around them and improve their social relationships. Furthermore, the digital format of the text produced will enable users to write letters and emails.The SWIFT Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, was established in 1997 by SWIFT with the aim of awarding a prize to a high-quality Belgian or Dutch project that helps build bridges between people through innovative applications of technology. The Fund will launch its next call for projects in June 2010.
| The mind speller device ‘spells’ text directly from decoded, non-invasive brain activity, opening up new avenues of communication for users who have suffered strokes and those with other neurological conditions. |