Applied Sciences Group

Giving Disabled Veterans a Voice

Long-standing research partnerships with UB have enabled Applied Sciences Group (ASG), a local software engineering firm, to develop and commercialize communication technologies for people who have lost their ability to speak.

ASG has employed UB graduates, partnered with UB start-up companies, and licensed UB technology through the university’s Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach.

“UB has a wealth of information and ability, and continues to provide ASG not only with very capable interns but also with our current and future full-time staff,” ASG President Paul Buckley said. “Local industry should take advantage of this local resource whenever they can."

The firm distributes the Advanced Talker and Simple Talker software, which UB researchers Michael Buckley and Kris Schindler, co-directors of UB’s Center for Socially Relevant Computing, developed with students.

The software enables patients with cerebral palsy, autism, Lou Gehrig’s disease and other communication-related disorders to “speak” by prompting a computer to say words.

Building on that collaboration, ASG recently partnered with Buckley and Schindler’s students again, this time to develop components of an augmented communications network for spinal cord injury veterans.

The students’ contributions helped ASG fulfill a $270,000 contract from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The UB Center for Advanced Biomedical and Bioengineering Technology (UB CAT), funded by the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation, supported the research with an additional grant.