Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Implementing linguistic text anticipation in a writing device for the disabled

The advent of the microcomputer has provided the severely handicapped with the means to create text. Instead of using a keyboard, the disabled typist is able to scan and select linguistic items with an appropriate input switch. The resulting communication rate is, however, prohibitively slow for wri...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Waller, Annalu
Other Authors: Boonzaier, David
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Human Biology 2017
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613268535672832
access_status_str Open Access
author Waller, Annalu
author2 Boonzaier, David
author_browse Boonzaier, David
Waller, Annalu
author_facet Boonzaier, David
Waller, Annalu
author_sort Waller, Annalu
collection Thesis
description The advent of the microcomputer has provided the severely handicapped with the means to create text. Instead of using a keyboard, the disabled typist is able to scan and select linguistic items with an appropriate input switch. The resulting communication rate is, however, prohibitively slow for writing and impractical for conversation. A variety of techniques is used to improve this rate and range from static letter matrices to more sophisticated methods in which words and phrases are anticipated. Although many anticipatory methods claim to be linguistically based, most, if not all, depend solely on letter and word frequency statistics. A series of phonological rules can be used to anticipate the letter structure of most English words. This linguistically based system reflects a degree of "intelligence" not present in other anticipatory writing systems. To evaluate and compare the new system with several existing techniques in practice, a programmable evaluation system has been developed on an IBM-compatible personal computer using the Artificial Intelligence language, LISP. Different communication strategies are transcribed into rulebases which serve as input to the software. The core program then executes the particular system under consideration. Input text can be processed in either manual or simulation mode and an evaluation report is generated when the session ends. The characteristics of efficient communication systems are introduced as a basis for this dissertation, after which the development and application of a linguistic anticipatory writing system is described. The design of the evaluation software is documented and the successful implementation of the various communication systems is discussed.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/26608
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:33:26.520Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2017
publishDateRange 2017
publishDateSort 2017
publisher Department of Human Biology
publisherStr Department of Human Biology
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/26608 Implementing linguistic text anticipation in a writing device for the disabled Waller, Annalu Boonzaier, David Communication devices for the disabled Writing - Materials and instruments - Data processing Communication aids for handicapped Computers People with disabilities. Writing - Instrumentation The advent of the microcomputer has provided the severely handicapped with the means to create text. Instead of using a keyboard, the disabled typist is able to scan and select linguistic items with an appropriate input switch. The resulting communication rate is, however, prohibitively slow for writing and impractical for conversation. A variety of techniques is used to improve this rate and range from static letter matrices to more sophisticated methods in which words and phrases are anticipated. Although many anticipatory methods claim to be linguistically based, most, if not all, depend solely on letter and word frequency statistics. A series of phonological rules can be used to anticipate the letter structure of most English words. This linguistically based system reflects a degree of "intelligence" not present in other anticipatory writing systems. To evaluate and compare the new system with several existing techniques in practice, a programmable evaluation system has been developed on an IBM-compatible personal computer using the Artificial Intelligence language, LISP. Different communication strategies are transcribed into rulebases which serve as input to the software. The core program then executes the particular system under consideration. Input text can be processed in either manual or simulation mode and an evaluation report is generated when the session ends. The characteristics of efficient communication systems are introduced as a basis for this dissertation, after which the development and application of a linguistic anticipatory writing system is described. The design of the evaluation software is documented and the successful implementation of the various communication systems is discussed. 2017-12-13T14:18:21Z 2017-12-13T14:18:21Z 1989 Master Thesis Masters MSc (Med) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26608 eng application/pdf Department of Human Biology Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Communication devices for the disabled
Writing - Materials and instruments - Data processing
Communication aids for handicapped
Computers
People with disabilities.
Writing - Instrumentation
Waller, Annalu
Implementing linguistic text anticipation in a writing device for the disabled
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Implementing linguistic text anticipation in a writing device for the disabled
title_full Implementing linguistic text anticipation in a writing device for the disabled
title_fullStr Implementing linguistic text anticipation in a writing device for the disabled
title_full_unstemmed Implementing linguistic text anticipation in a writing device for the disabled
title_short Implementing linguistic text anticipation in a writing device for the disabled
title_sort implementing linguistic text anticipation in a writing device for the disabled
topic Communication devices for the disabled
Writing - Materials and instruments - Data processing
Communication aids for handicapped
Computers
People with disabilities.
Writing - Instrumentation
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26608
work_keys_str_mv AT wallerannalu implementinglinguistictextanticipationinawritingdeviceforthedisabled