OTTAA Project FAQs
General questions about the project
Questions from our users
Questions from developers
General questions about the project
1. What is the OTTAA Project?
The OTTAA Project is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) mobile application intended for users with speech and language impairments. It is a fast and effective tool that significantly improves users' quality of life and facilitates their social and labor reintegration.
2. How did the project begin?
The project was born out of a personal encounter with a disability and speech impairment within a family. Two brothers found their grandmother, affected by Alzheimer's disease, unable to communicate anymore. They set out to look for tools that could help her, but what they found was not good enough, there were no cutting-edge algorithms and software to help people who had problems communicating. So, they decided to create a solution themselves. Combining their knowledge of biomedical engineering and business communication they came up with an innovative predictive algorithm that provides pictograms to communicate and utilizes the context of the conversation to help users create sentences fast and easily.
3. How can I collaborate with the OTTAA Project?
Contributors can help OTTAA with developing, testing, and/or translation. To read more about the subject and get started, please see the Contributing section in the official OTTAA GitHub repository.
4. How can I make a financial contribution to the project?
We welcome all financial contributions, big and small. To donate monthly or for a one-time donation, please visit supporting OTTAA.
Questions from our users
1. Who can use the OTTAA app?
OTTAA is designed for non-verbal individuals, that is anyone that does not use oral speech to communicate. People that are using OTTAA today were diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Spinal Motor Atrophy (SMA), or post-stroke locked-in syndrome (LiS), among other affections. Being a dynamic communication tool, OTTAA requires its users to be capable of mid to high-level cognitive functions. However, we like to consider every case individually so do not hesitate to get in touch and request an online assessment with our team.
2. How does the app work?
The OTTAA app provides the user with pictograms: images that represent actions, objects, feelings, or emotions. The user can choose the pictogram(s) he or she needs and create a speech utterance. The utterance is translated from the pictogram(s) to a written sentence that appears on the screen and is also read out loud by the app. Watch OTTAA The first intelligent communication platform for the speech-impaired and OTTAA Project App on our Youtube channel for a more visual explanation.
3. How is this app different from other AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) devices?
The OTTAA app is different from other AAC apps because of its innovative predictive algorithm and natural language generator, which allow the app to learn from the user’s behavior on the app, their age, gender, the time of the day, and their location to pre-select pictogram(s) for the communicational moment they are in.
4. How can I get started with the OTTAA app?
To use OTTAA Project you need a compatible device (see question 5) and any assistive device you need to control it. Check out our certified open hardware devices or order one from our store.
After you install it you can take our online training course to learn how to take the most out of OTTAA. As of November 2022, the course is only available in Spanish. Any contributions to translating it to English or any other supported languages are welcome.
5. How much does the OTTAA app cost?
The OTTAA app is free to download & use. In order to create a sustainable product that withstands the passage of time, there are some features that require a subscription to access. However, we are working hard to provide financing to everyone that needs it.
If you are in Argentina, any assistive device a person needs should be covered by health insurance. Contact our team to get guidance and assistance on how to obtain this coverage.
If you are from any other country in LATAM and want to share your experience around this subject, feel free to reach out, your contribution might help many people in need.
6. What devices and OS are supported?
OTTAA is a multi-platform tool, it can be used in most devices with any OS.
7. Which languages are supported by the OTTAA Project?
We currently support Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French. For Spanish, we have localized versions from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Spain. We are actively looking for contributions on new languages or better localization for Spanish varieties. Join our crowdin community to contribute.
Questions from developers
1. How can I contribute to the OTTAA Project?
Please see the Contributing section in the official OTTAA GitHub repository