Oska for PC Access
Products
The Oska Suite is a software solution range designed to assist people who have difficulty using traditional computer input methods. Oska has been developed to enhance the use of touch technology and alternative PC input methods. Oska offers an inclusive alternative to the traditional keyboard and mouse method of operating a computer. The inclusive Oska software, paired with the appropriate input hardware, solves accessibility issues associated with conventional techniques and is paving the way for increased use of inclusive touch technology.
People who have moved from mouse input to a single switch system now have alternative control methods available to them. Integration of additional, alternative input device techniques such as game pads, numeric keypads and touch pads gives more flexibility in controlling and writing on the PC.
Features of Oska Suite
The Oska Suite contains a range of features and applications to assist users who have difficulty using traditional PC input methods. Click any of the following links to be taken to that section.
- Oska Keyboard
- Oska Editor
- Oska Settings Editor
- One Switch Mouse
- Scroll Wheel Scanning
- Joystick Mouse
- TenKey Mouse
- 3D Mouse
- Head Pointer And Mouth Stick Keyboard
The Oska Keyboard
The Oska Keyboard is an on-screen virtual keyboard. It displays a fully customisable virtual keyboard on screen and allows the use of multiple input devices including mouse, joystick, switch/scanning and head pointer control methods to use the keyboard. Oska is fully compatible with touch technology allowing touch screen compatible PCs to control the on-screen keyboard.
The Oska Keyboard works as a standard computer keyboard. Select a key and Oska will send the input to the current active application on your PC. Oska offers total keyboard control of all your applications including word processors, email, web pages or any other text based application that you use. The Oska Keyboard supports all the standard characteristics of a standard keyboard (for instance, repeated keystrokes when a key is held down).
Oska allows the user to do everything you would do with a standard keyboard, offering more opportunities to work, learn, play and interact with others on their PC. Oska offers users full access to any software package, giving independence to get on with day to day computer tasks.
The Oska Keyboard Editor
The Oska Editor has been designed with ease of use in mind, allowing keyboards to be effortlessly adapted to specific requirements. All the keyboards in Oska are fully customisable, allowing the keyboard to be edited to suit the requirements of each user and task. The Oska Editor that comes with all versions of Oska has been designed to allow the creation of multi input keyboards or controllers for use on the PC system. Keyboards created with Oska work with touch screen devices, touchpad’s, mice, keyboard, joysticks and switch devices.
Oska Settings Editor
After a keyboard is created, the input methods can be defined and customised. In addition, certain keys can be further defined by the user, giving further capability.
One Switch Mouse
One Switch Mouse enables a user to control the mouse pointer using a single switch. This technique is particularly suited to users who have good fine motor control, but poor motor control; for example, people with muscular dystrophy. Coupling One Switch Mouse with Oska On-Screen Keyboard offers the user the ability to control the mouse and write. With practice, we have seen this technique being used to control a mouse at high speeds.
One Switch Mouse requires the use of only one switch or button to give the user complete control of the mouse. One Switch Mouse also allows the application to be setup in a way that suits the end-user needs. As well as controlling the speed and acceleration of the mouse movement, the input device (‘switch’) that is used to control the mouse movement can be altered. The ‘switch’ used to control One Switch Mouse can be either the ‘space bar’ (or a switch controller box which emulates the space bar), the middle mouse button, or joystick/gamepad button 1 or 2.
Scroll Wheel Scanning
Scroll Wheel Scanning is a feature of the Oska Keyboard that offers a unique and innovative scanning solution using a standard computer mouse. By utilising the scroll wheel found on most standard computer mice, a switch/scanning system can be easily and precisely controlled. Scroll Wheel Scanning can be used to setup a quick and precise switch/scanning solution without having a switch system setup.
Joystick Mouse
Joystick Mouse enables any joystick or gamepad controller to be operated like a standard computer mouse. Joystick Mouse allows the mouse cursor to be controlled by a joystick or gamepad controller and enables the joystick or gamepad buttons to operate as the mouse buttons. Joystick Mouse is ideal for users who have difficulty operating a standard computer mouse. Using a joystick or gamepad rather than a computer mouse can be more comfortable for the user, allowing for a greater degree of accuracy.
TenKey Mouse
TenKey Mouse is an innovate alternative for moving the mouse pointer quickly and precisely. TenKey Mouse lets you use the numeric keypad at the right of a computer keyboard to operate the mouse (you can also use any USB device with a numeric keypad on it). TenKey Mouse can be a useful mouse alternative for people with limited mobility or Work Related Upper Limb Disorder.
3D Mouse
3D Mouse offers a new way to control the mouse cursor. 3D Mouse supports new 3D mouse hardware and enables the hardware to be used to control the mouse. 3D Mouse allows greater productivity and creative output.
The 3D mouse hardware are a new type of mouse controller from 3D Connexion. The mice are developed for use with 3D applications such as Google Earth. The 3D Mouse application allowed these mice to be used as standard computer mice. 3D Mouse will be of interest to users who want to use this new type of hardware as a standard mouse controller, allowing for greater control and precision. For further information on 3D mouse controllers please visit the 3dconnexion website.
The Head Pointer And Mouth Stick Keyboard
The Head Pointer and Mouth Stick Keyboard is an on-screen keyboard designed to aid operation when using Oska with a head pointing or mouth stick mechanism. Head Pointer and Mouth Stick Keyboard has been designed to assist head pointer and mouth stick users to access their PC with a greater degree of control and efficiency.
Paving The Way For The Future
With touch screen computers now readily available on the high street and touch screen displays decreasing in price, it is evident that touch is the future of technology and Oska is very much a part of that future.
