Italian "Talking Calculator" - for Cognitive Impairments

This calculator allows individuals with cognitive impairments to do simple math problems.

The design displays 0-9 in numerical order, a plus button, and an equals button with a large text display. When buttons are pressed, the calculator gives verbal cues in Italian to minimize calculation errors.

The numerical order allows the user to locate the number more easily, as typical calculators display the numbers in reverse order. The plus button is displayed with a yellow background, which makes it easier to find. It displays the plus symbol (+), as well as the word plus in Italian (Piu). The equals button is displayed with a green background. It has an equals symbol (=), as well as the word equals (Uguale).

The text-to-speech component reads the numbers and functions that were typed out loud.

It can be displayed on any smart device (smart phone, tablet, etc.), but larger tablets are recommended as they allow a larger visual display.

Access MIT App Inventor website

Smart device (smart phone, tablet, etc.)

Using the MIT App Inventor website, first create the user interface. This is created on the "Designer" screen. This example uses font size 45 and has bold text for the numbers. The plus and equals buttons use font size 75 with yellow and green backgrounds. The top display uses font size 70. They are broken into 3 horizontal arrangements, which are centered to "fill parent" width, and 20% for height. The plus and equals buttons on the bottom use "fill parent" for width and height.

Adjustments to font size, screen orientation, and color can be made as desired.

Copy the example code into the MIT App Inventor website. This is created on the "Blocks" screen.

Additional buttons for subtraction, clear screen, etc. can be added as necessary, following a similar code format.

Share the app onto the selected device. This can be completed by clicking the "Connect" drop down box on MIT App Inventor, then select "AI Companion." Use the QR code or the 6-digit number to connect to the device.

Once the app has been shared to the device, the calculator is ready to test. Issues with the user interface or code can then be resolved as needed.