About
Smartbox is an assistive technology company that develops augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) software and devices for people with disabilities affecting their speech and motor control. Their flagship product, Grid 3, is a symbol- and text-based communication software that runs on Windows PCs and dedicated Smartbox hardware, enabling users to communicate using eye gaze, switch access, touch, or mouse control. The platform supports a wide range of users, including those with cerebral palsy, ALS/MND, autism, locked-in syndrome, and other conditions that impact speech or movement. Smartbox's software includes pre-built communication grids as well as fully customizable page sets, allowing speech and language therapists, caregivers, and users to tailor the interface to individual needs. Grid 3 also incorporates environmental control features, enabling users to operate smart home devices, computers, and other technology directly from their AAC device. Grid for iPad extends this functionality to Apple devices, offering a portable communication solution. The company provides training resources, a library of ready-made grid sets, and a community platform where users and professionals can share resources. Smartbox devices and software are used in homes, schools, and care settings worldwide, and the products are typically funded through healthcare or educational funding pathways.
Key Features
- Multimodal Access Methods: Supports a wide range of physical access methods including eye gaze, switch scanning, touch, and mouse, making communication possible for users with varying motor abilities.
- Customizable Communication Grids: Offers hundreds of pre-built symbol and text grid sets that can be fully customized by therapists, caregivers, or users to match individual vocabulary and communication needs.
- Environmental Control Integration: Allows users to control smart home devices, computers, and other technology directly from their AAC device, supporting greater independence in daily life.
- High-Quality Text-to-Speech: Integrates natural-sounding synthetic voices so users can communicate spoken messages, with options for different voices, languages, and accents.
- Resource Sharing Community: Provides a library platform where speech and language therapists and users can upload, download, and share grid sets and communication resources.
Pros
- Broad Accessibility Support: Supports an exceptionally wide range of physical access methods, making it one of the most inclusive AAC solutions available for users with severe motor impairments.
- Deep Customization: Grid sets can be tailored to individual communication levels, from basic symbol-based pages for emerging communicators to full keyboard-based text entry for literate users.
- Environmental Control Built In: Unlike many AAC tools, Smartbox integrates smart home and computer control directly into the communication software, reducing the need for separate systems.
Cons
- High Cost: Software licenses and compatible hardware (including eye-gaze cameras and dedicated Smartbox devices) represent a significant investment, often requiring healthcare or educational funding.
- Steep Learning Curve for Setup: Configuring and customizing grid sets to suit a specific user's needs typically requires involvement from a trained speech and language therapist, which can slow initial deployment.
- Limited Platform Support: The full-featured Grid 3 software is only available on Windows; iOS users get Grid for iPad with a more limited feature set, and Android is not supported.
