The Dundee University‘s Accessibility and Assistive Technology (ATech) Research Group at Computing in the School of Science and Engineering is a world leader in developing intelligent and multimodal technologies within the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), working with the foremost companies in the field to support and enhance interaction for individuals with a variety of communication impairments across the lifespan. The Dundee ATech Research Group is at the heart of this work, involving the end users of software in the design and development. The group always welcome inquiries about new PhD projects, please get in touch with Professor Annalu Waller.
Watch what we do!
Take a look at our video collection on the things we love and enjoy!
Current Topics
A selection taken from our research, teaching and consultancy and other news.
MSc in Educational Assistive Technology (part time and full time)
This course is primarily for teachers, therapists and technologists who are seeking to develop and enhance their ability to support learners who require AT. It will equip you with the skills, knowledge and working methodology needed to practise as an educational assistive technologist.
You will interact with expert users of AT within our unique User Centre. We also have links with learning environments across the UK and will help you to find suitable situations for practical work.
More information on our EduAT website, or contact our programme lead, Rohan Slaughter at MScEduAT@dundee.ac.uk
In Our Own Words: A Film by our Aphasia iPad Group, shortlisted in Top 10 at ISAAC 2018
Tap and Talk, the Aphasia iPad Group within the User Centre at Computing has been created a short animation film about their experiences with Aphasia. With funding and support from the Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust THAT and the local artist and animation film maker Andrew Low the group has been animating plasticine figures cardboard cutouts and even tomato alphabet soup.
The result is tow short films about aphasia: A one minute information clip that can be showed on an iPad, iPhone or similar tablet to inform conversation partners about aphasia. A longer 6 minute film presents portraits of the group members together with their animated films for a more in depth impression of aphasia. The project was document by film maker Steve Soave.
Both films, “I have Aphasia” and “Aphasia – In our own Words“, were shortlisted in the Top 10 films as best two films at this year’s ISAAC 2018 Short Film Festival.
“I have Aphasia” can be download for free as an iOS app for iPad or iPhone as a handy tool to introduce yourself and your disability in 90 seconds to a new communication partner. Follow this link to the App Store: aphasia.dogfish.tech.
More information and links to the films on the project website: aac.dundee.ac.uk/tap-and-talk
Featured Research Project
(DAAC Research) ACE-LP, Augmenting Communication using Environmental Data to drive Language Prediction, brought together research expertise in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Computer Vision & Image Processing at the University of Dundee with Intelligent Interactive Systems at the University of Cambridge.
ACE-LP had a number of partners including Capability Scotland and Scope, the two leading charities for people with complex disabilities in the UK, and the ENT at Ninewells Hospital, NHS Tayside.
Industry partners included two of the world leading developers of VOCAs, Smartbox Assistive Technology and Tobii Dynavox, as well as Arria NLG Ltd, the market leader in real-time data storytelling, and Edesix Ltd, a leading provider of advanced Body Worn Camera Solutions, based in Edinburgh.
The Universities will also worked with National Museums Scotland and the leading UK charity Communication Matters to ensure that the results of the research are communicated beyond the science communities into clinical work and mainstream knowledge.
This research project ran from 2016 – 2020 and was funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
More information on the project page linked to via: ACE-LP.ac.uk