{"id":47538,"date":"2025-12-18T09:42:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T08:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/?p=47538"},"modified":"2026-01-22T13:48:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T12:48:10","slug":"what-if-a-simple-keyboard-could-restore-autonomy-in-the-face-of-parkinson-s-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/what-if-a-simple-keyboard-could-restore-autonomy-in-the-face-of-parkinson-s-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"What if a simple keyboard could restore autonomy in the face of Parkinson\u2019s disease?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>An everyday object, reimagined with intelligence and empathy, has just received international recognition. Behind its vibrating keys lies a major challenge: restoring digital autonomy to thousands of people living with Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/une-oncue-1024x576-1.png\" alt=\"keyboard oncue for Parkinson\u2019s disease\" class=\"wp-image-47540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/une-oncue-1024x576-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/une-oncue-1024x576-1-400x225.png 400w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/une-oncue-1024x576-1-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-ast-global-color-6-background-color has-background\">\n<li><strong>OnCue is an innovative keyboard designed to help people with Parkinson&#8217;s disease regain digital independence in their daily lives.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It combines adapted ergonomics (ortholinear layout, split keyboard) with haptic and visual signals to stabilize typing.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Progressive vibrations and smart lighting accompany the movement and limit errors caused by tremors and slow motor skills.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The project, developed by designer Alessandra Galli, was awarded the 2025 James Dyson Award for its significant societal impact.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Beyond technology, OnCue aims to restore dignity, expression, and digital inclusion for people living with Parkinson&#8217;s.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/oncue-logo.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47541\" style=\"width:100px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parkinson\u2019s disease: when writing becomes a daily challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In France, <strong>more than 272,500 people are living with Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/strong>, and nearly 25,000 new diagnoses are made each year, according to figures cited by the Ministry of Health. This neurodegenerative condition causes tremors, slowness of movement, and a progressive deterioration of fine motor skills, as described by researchers at Inserm. <strong>Beyond the medical issues<\/strong>, these symptoms severely <strong>complicate actions that have become essential<\/strong>: writing a message, sending an email, working on a computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is precisely this daily difficulty that OnCue aims to address. <strong>OnCue is an innovative keyboard<\/strong> designed by Italian designer Alessandra Galli. Initially developed as part of her master\u2019s degree at TU Delft, the project was recently <strong>recognized at the 2025 James Dyson Award<\/strong>, in the category of innovations with <strong>strong societal impact<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-11-1024x576-1.png\" alt=\"Parkinson\u2019s disease\" class=\"wp-image-47543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-11-1024x576-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-11-1024x576-1-400x225.png 400w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-11-1024x576-1-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A keyboard designed for the realities of the body<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At first glance, <strong>OnCue already stands out from conventional keyboards<\/strong>. Its ortholinear layout, with keys aligned in columns and regular rows, encourages a more natural finger posture and <strong>limits unnecessary lateral movements<\/strong>. The <strong>keyboard is also split into two independent modules<\/strong>, allowing each hand to position itself freely, thereby <strong>reducing strain on the wrists and forearms<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the innovation goes beyond ergonomics. <strong>OnCue integrates haptic and visual signals designed to support movement<\/strong>. With each key press, subtle vibrations are triggered in the keyboard and in <strong>wrist-worn bracelets<\/strong>. Their role is to <strong>help the user maintain a steady typing rhythm<\/strong>. If a key is held down for too long, a common occurrence among people with <strong>Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/strong>, the intensity of the vibration increases, gently prompting the user to release the gesture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parkinson\u2019s disease: when technology supports movement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The device also relies on an intelligent lighting system. <strong>Thanks to predictive software assistance<\/strong>, certain keys light up to suggest the next letter, reducing hesitation and therefore errors. <strong>The entire system is fully customizable, allowing it to adapt to the progression of symptoms<\/strong>, which can vary greatly even within the same day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach is directly inspired by techniques used in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/ivan-pedley-92-the-doyen-of-british-senior-table-tennis-is-still-going-strong\/\">motor therapy<\/a><\/strong>, where external sensory cues, tactile or visual, can <strong>improve the precision of movements<\/strong>. Studies have shown that <strong>even a simple tactile cue can significantly reduce fine motor errors<\/strong> in patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OnCue, computer keyboard for people with Parkinson&#039;s Disease\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HC5T0PyR0PI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">OnCue: recognition beyond design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If OnCue captured the attention of the <strong>James Dyson Award<\/strong> jury, <strong>it was as much for its technical sophistication as for its philosophy<\/strong>. Unlike many assistive devices, often perceived as stigmatizing or purely medical, this keyboard claims a <strong>refined design<\/strong>, intended to fit just as well into professional environments as domestic ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Developed in collaboration with patient associations<\/strong>, including ParkinsonNL, the project was tested with people directly affected by the disease. Their feedback confirmed one essential point: beyond the reduction in typing errors, <strong>it is the regained sense of control and dignity<\/strong> that most strongly resonates with users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parkinson\u2019s disease: reclaiming a place in the digital world<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At a time when social, administrative, and professional life <strong>largely takes place through digital tools<\/strong>, the loss of autonomy when using a keyboard can become a factor of isolation. In this sense, OnCue is not limited to a technological achievement; <strong>it acts as a bridge between people living with<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/parkinsons-disease-what-is-the-situation\/\">Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a><\/strong> and <strong>an increasingly dematerialized world<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Alessandra Galli<\/strong> now has a clear ambition: to <strong>make this device accessible to as many people as possible<\/strong> and to explore its adaptation to other <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/alzheimers-disease-a-major-global-challenge\/\">neurodegenerative diseases<\/a><\/strong>. This approach is a reminder that sometimes it is not spectacular treatments that transform everyday life, but simple objects, thoughtfully redesigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>With OnCue<\/strong>, technology does not claim to erase the disease. <strong>It supports movement, respects its rhythm, and gives back<\/strong> to those whose hands tremble an essential freedom: the ability to write and, therefore, <strong>to express themselves freely<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What if a simple #keyboard could restore autonomy in the face of #Parkinson\u2019s disease?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":47540,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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