We think of ourselves as a pretty inclusive society. However, there are many ways in which we don’t even notice disabled people come at a disadvantage. Have you ever taken into account that texting, an activity so simple and effortless to many, might pose a serious problem to others. ParrotOne, a keyboard designed for fast writing will change that, but only if you support it. ParrotOne is crowdfunding and they need your help; they’ve got a cool prototype and they need PLN 58,900 (EUR 13,350) to make the project work.
“For my entire life I’ve been communicating with the world using the Internet. However, my mobile disability and arms muscle weakness that comes with it makes it difficult to use a keyboard. That’s why ParrotOne, a universal communicator, project was launched. Thanks to AI, it makes writing easier and faster. During a chat, it prompts ready phrases and words, which you can send with just one finger,” says Piotr Lewandowski, the founder of ParrotOne.
While its target users are disabled-bodied people, ParrotOne can make everyone’s communication easier and more effortless. Disabled people may have troubles using a traditional keyboard or swipe because tremors, tiredness or cramping. All that makes communication difficult and more tiresome than it has to be. With ParrotOne you’ll be able to write an entire sentence with just two clicks: you press a letter your sentence starts with and click the correct prompt. That’s it. it takes care of the diacritics (which are a nightmare in Polish).
“Digital exclusion is a serious issue when a digital transformation takes place; everything starts existing online. The issue is most prominent for disabled people and the elderly, who may have troubles using a keyboard and spend a lot of time at home,” says Piotr Lewandowski.
The AI component will learn your speech patterns and adapt to the way you write. It’s going to work a bit like prompts in Google; you start typing in what you want to say and the app will try to guess what you mean. That means the longer you’re going to use ParrotOne, the more personalised the prompts will be.
Even now it’s planned to be bilingual: Polish and English, in the future more languages are going to be added. What’s more, since it’s going to be more community-like, there’s a chance anyone can upload a dictionary so that more people can benefit from the app. To make sure all your conversations are safe, all data is coded. You also won’t be asked to provide with lots of personal details; your email will be enough. Or, if you prefer, for your comfort you’ll be able to use your social media account to sign up.
ParrotOne has a clean design and doesn’t drain your battery so you can use it safely. It also doesn’t intervene with your favourite keyboard: if you install it, you’ll still be able to use Swipe or SmartKey. You’ll simply have more options.
It’s available on wspieram.to (a Polish kickstarter) and the prices start at PLN 10 (just over EUR 2).
