DIY Transcribe Controller

Hello

For the Cocreation-course at University Ghent, we were asked to design for a client. We got to work with Inge. Inge is a 27-year-old woman, who is currently working on her PhD. This means that she has to listen to a lot of interviews and transcribe them. Because of the fact that the interviews are rather quick, she can't follow typing. Therefore, Inge has to pause and rewind the interviews a lot. To do so, Inge can use the f-keys on her keyboard but this means that she has to reposition her hands and therefore interrupt her typing.

We were asked to design a solution for Inge, so that her interviews can be paused/rewound, without having to interrupt her typing.
It is possible to control the interviews with a foot pedal, but this is no solution to Inge because of her paraplegia.

This is why we came up with the Transcribe Controller

Step 1: Requirements

In this list you will find everything you need for the project:

* Arduino Leonardo
* Braidboard
* Flat mini-usb cable to connect the Leonardo to an usb-port
* Flat standard telephone cable
* 10k-resistors (3)
* 6x6x6 mm standart arduino pushbuttons (3)
* 1mm arduino cables
* Soldering iron
* Textile rubber band
* 2-component silicone

The box and Transcribe Controller are 3D-printed, because of the needed precision for the pushbuttons. The files are delivered in this Instructable. As are the Arduino codes.

Step 2: Silicone Top for the Contoller

After having printed the mold (TC_mal 1 to 3), you need to do following steps

*fix TC_mal 1 and TC_mal 2 together with some screws, these 2 form the top part of the mold.
* Place the formed part on TC_mal 3; the mold is now ready
* The silicone can be poured into the mold by the provided hole at the top
Tip: Fix the 2 parts with some tape to keep them in place, no screws are needed

The result is shown in the pictures.

Step 3: Fixation of the Buttons

After having printed the controller, you need to do following steps:

* Fix the pushbuttons in the provided square holes.
* Use the Arduino cables to set up the connections, make sure that the cables NEVER touch!

Note: If you look closely, you will notice that the part isn't symmetrical. The upper right part is cut of due to the atomics of the human hand while typing. Inge uses this controller with her right thumb. The corner that is cut off makes it possible for Inge to hit every key on her keyboard, without having the controller interrupt the path. If you are planning on using the controller with your left thumb, you'll need to mirror the 3D-file.

* The positive cables need to be placed at the side of the cut of corner, a bigger hole is here provided, because here 3 cables will need to pass. The negative side only needs one cable (ground)
* If the cables are positioned they can be soldered together with a solder iron.
* Now use the telephone cable to connect the arduino cables of the controller, to Arduino itself.
* Protect the cable with a shrinking sleeve

Step 4: Connection to the Arduino

The wires now need to be connected to the Arduino.
The picture shows how to do so.

Note: In the picture, 5 pushbuttons are connected, you only need 3.

Now, the code can be uploaded.
Test if the buttons work or not. If so: go to the next step; if not: recheck the connections!

Step 5: Setting Up Box

To protect and transport the controller, we made a box that contains all the parts - even the Arduino! The Arduino is protected and sealed, while another part of the box provides space to hold the controllor and is accesable at all times.

If the test was succesfull, you can now start to assemble everything in this box (3d files are provided in inge-box.rar).

Step 6: Elastic Band

To keep the controller in place while typing, we made an elastic band to mount the controller on. Make sure to stretch a band around the width of your laptop, to make sure that the band will fit perfectly.
We drilled 2 little holes into the controller to sew the controller onto the band. We cut 2 holes into the band, to fit the cable through. Like this, the cable will be protected and tucked away thanks to the band.

Step 7: Final Result

The button looks elegant on the device, the provide box keeps everything safe during your trips!

We programmed the arduino code so that:

* left button = F2
* Middle button = F3
* Right button = F4.

Thanks to the Windows Media Player-plug-in, we were able to set F2 F3 and F4 as keyboard shortcuts for play/pause, rewind and fast forward. So finally, just by a touch of her thumb, Inge can control her interviews, without having to interrupt het typing.