MegaBee Writing Tablet

The hand-held writing tablet that gives the power to communicate to people who have lost the ability to speak coherently and write legibly

MegaBee is a simple-to-use writing tablet to aid frequent communication with people who have:

• Brain Damage
• Strokes
• Motor-loss
• MS
• Motor-neurone disease
• Medium and severe Cerebral Palsy
• 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.

The product comes in its own carrying case along with battery charger, instruction booklet and CD. The device is Bluetooth enabled for communication with other devices such as a PC if required.

“… the best AAC device ever, simple but very effective … all clinics, surgeries, hospitals should have it.” - Claire Hayward OT, ACT, West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre, Selly Oak

“I love using my MegaBee when I can’t access a computer to talk. I find it very useful and am sure it will help other people with MND (or speech problems)” -Sarah Ezekiel - MND campaigner

“It has been the saving of his sanity and of his wife and two children. We all have a great respect for the development of MegaBee, it has been a life saver. Thank you.” - Ann Marchant Treasurer, MND Association

“The lack of suitable communication equipment and the need for communication with our daughter to be made easier and more rewarding drove us to look for a new solution. MegaBee is that solution and the product has been developed in close co-operation with our daughter.” - Patient’s parents

How does it work?

The tablet uses eye movement and blinking as the method to select letters, which are displayed on the integral screen.

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).

See the MegaBee Working Simulation (Opens in a new window. If the Flash movie does not play you may need to download and install free Flash player plug-in)

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 be 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.

Is MegaBee 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 patient. 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.

The tablet is made from lightweight textured polypropylene which is tough and durable and allows easy cleaning with a damp cloth.

Does it require a PC connection?

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 should the user require to display on a larger screen or input text into a personal computer.

A custom vocabulary of up to 260 phrases (20 characters maximum) can also be uploaded using a computer thus providing 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 MegaBee 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.

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.

MegaBee is comes in anthracite grey only.

What’s included with the MegaBee?

MegaBee is supplied in a custom carrying case which includes battery charger suitable for worldwide use, full operating instructions and a computer animation for easy training purposes, and all necessary software.