Vocal Joystick software developed by University of Washington help the disable to use sound to operate computers. It is one of a series of UW-generated assistive-technology projects ranging from enabling the blind to use touch screens to developing an alternative to the point-and-click method of computer navigation. Simple sounds like 'ahh,' 'Ooo,' and 'Eee' do the trick. These sounds help the computer in conventional functioning of the mouse. Researchers believe that the joystick will help patients with spinal cord injury patients also. It is said that the system allows users to exploit large sets of sounds for continuous and discrete movement.

The Vocal Joystick requires only a microphone, a computer with a standard sound card and a user who can vocalize. The team behind the study, funded by the National Science Foundation, hopes to make a prototype available online this fall.

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