MegaBee™ is a simple-to-use assisted writing tablet to aid frequent communication with people who have:
- Brain Damage
- Strokes
- Motor-loss
- MS/ALS/MND
- medium and severe Cerebral Palsy
- Those who have no, or impaired, ability to speak and cannot write legibly
MegaBee™ is easy-to-use and rapidly deployed, providing convenient, frequent means of communication with the carer, thus providing a much enhanced lifestyle for the user. It does not require calibration and accommodates changes in head position or movement of the tablet. It requires very little training and is learnt in minutes.
How Does it Work?
The tablet uses eye movement and blinking as the method to select letters or phrases, which are then displayed on its screen.
Is it Easy to Use?
MegaBee™ is easy-to-use and rapidly deployed, providing convenient, frequent means of communication with the carer, thus providing a much enhanced lifestyle for the user. It does not require calibration and accommodates changes in head position or movement of the tablet. Very little training is needed and it can be learnt in minutes.
Does it Require to be Connected to a PC?
No! MegaBee™ is fully portable and can be used for bed-confined, home-care and chair-mobile situations. Whilst the unit does not require computing equipment for its basic operation it does however have Bluetooth® wireless communication ability if the user wants to display on a larger screen to several people or input text into a personal computer.
Custom abbreviations of up to 260 phrases (20 characters maximum) can also be uploaded using a computer to provide a short-cut typing mechanism specifically tailored to suit the individual user
Can it use Symbols instead of Text?
Yes, MegaBee™ can be used in ‘picture’ mode which allows symbols, pictures, cartoons, and drawings to be used instead of text. For low literacy levels or cognitively impaired users this allows a highly personalised and flexible solution. Symbols can be changed at will using our free software and a colour printer.
How long do the Batteries last?
The rechargeable batteries provide regular use over a 24 hour period with notification of low battery given 5 minutes before shutdown. The unit can still be used whilst charging the batteries.
Does it come with any Accessories?
MegaBee™ is supplied in a custom carrying case which includes battery charger suitable for worldwide use, full operating instructions, computer animation for easy training purposes, and all necessary software.
Is it Easy to Look After?
The tablet is made from lightweight textured high-impact strength ABS which is tough and durable and allows easy cleaning with a damp cloth. It also contains an anti-microbial compound making it resistant to MRSA and E.Coli.
Does it come in different Colours?
MegaBee is produced in anthracite grey with an antimicrobial additive to prevent transmission of infection.
Operation
The tablet has been designed to require minimal learning both for the reader and writer – letter selection is achieved by looking at the letter and blinking, then looking at the block which is the same colour as the selected letter.
For example the letter ‘K’ would be selected by looking first at the blue block where the letter K is located and blinking (the carer then presses the blue button), then, as the letter ‘K’ is black, the user looks at the black block and blinks (the carer presses the black button and the letter ‘K’ appears on the screen).
Similar protocols exist for deleting text and adding spaces, as well as accessing various menu functions such as Bluetooth, contrast, scrolling and other housekeeping facilities. There is an LCD display on each side of the tablet, visible to reader and writer.
A powerful vocabulary facility is also provided which provides abbreviations for frequently used words. This allows users to compile their own set of shorthand words or phrases which can be uploaded at will. For example ‘T2’ might assigned to ‘Television’, or ‘H1’ means ‘I am too hot’. These phrases can be changed to suit varying situations such as bed care, mobility, or in the case of ward supervision, can be changed for different users.
For people with low literacy and very limited communication ability, MegaBee can operate in a picture mode, where pictures, photographs, symbols or drawings can be used as the communication medium. The choice of picture is entirely up to the user and can be generated at home with a simple colour printer.
