ParkinsonsPenVibratestoImproveLegibility.docVIP

Parkinsons Pen Vibrates to Improve Legibility 帕金森Parkinson’s disease causes tremors or stiffness that can turn everyday tasks such as eating, brushing teeth or writing into frustrating chores. 帕金森会引起身体颤抖或僵硬从而导致病人的日常行动，比如吃饭、刷牙或写作变成令人沮丧的难题。 A few years ago a company called Liftware developed forks and spoons that respond to shaking by steadying the utensil, making it easier enjoy a meal. 几年前一家名为“Liftware”的公司研发了智能餐叉和汤匙，它可以通过稳定餐具来对付身体的颤抖，使病人用餐变得更简单容易。 Now researchers at Imperial College and the Royal College of Art in London are developing a device called the ARC pen that vibrates to stimulate muscles in the hand. The vibrations could help Parkinsons patients’ handwriting—in part by counteracting what’s known as micrographia, which causes writing to be small and barely legible. Micrographia is often an early sign of Parkinson’s and afflicts about five percent of patients. 来自伦敦帝国理工学院和皇家艺术学院的研究人员正在开发一种名为 “ARC震动笔”的装置，它可以通过振动刺激手上的肌肉。这种振动可以帮助帕金森患者更好地写作，抵消的“写字过小症”——导致写字小甚至几乎无法辨识的病症。“写字过小症”是帕金森的早期症状，困扰着百分之五的帕金森病人。 The researchers, who formed a company called Dopa Solution, have not published results but they say that 12 out of the 14 Parkinson’s sufferers testing their vibrating prototype ARC pen were able to write larger, clearer characters than they could with a normal pen. 该项目的研究人员成立了一家名为“多巴解答”公司虽然还未发表研究结果，但他们表示参与测试的14名帕金森患者中已有12人通过使用“ARC震动笔”能够把字写得更大比他们使用常规笔写得要清晰。 Dopa hopes to also develop tools, brushes and even computer mice that work like their pen. Not a cure, of course, but certainly a way to help users have a more satisfying life. “多巴”公司还希望开发其他像ARC震动笔一样的工具、牙刷、甚至鼠标。当然它并不，但它却一定帮助患者生活。 Parkinson’s disease causes tremors or stiffness that can turn everyday tasks such as eating, brushing teeth or writing into frustrating chores. A few years ago a company called Liftwaredeveloped forks and spoons that respond to shaking by steadying the utensil, making it easier enjoy a meal. Now researchers at Imperial College and the Royal College of Art in London are developing a device