For Ken Carpenter, the Camera Mouse was a link to his past. In late 2000, Ken was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS patients lose control of voluntary movement due to a progressive wasting away of certain nerve cells. The disease does not affect mental functioning; ALS patients suffer no loss of thinking ability.

After Ken displayed symptoms he decided to leave Maryland to be closer to his family in Connecticut. He left his position as a security manager for the Computer Science Corporation. He also left his friends in Maryland. Friendships, however, are not easily ended. Ken kept in touch with his friends in Maryland through the use of the internet.

As Ken’s condition began to degenerate, he had a more difficult time using a keyboard and mouse. It became increasingly obvious that Ken would require a different type of technology in order to maintain his friendships. An ALS social worker mentioned she had seen something on television about the EagleEyes program. Ken’s family found EagleEyes on the Internet and contacted Jim Gips.

A BC team of Joel Barciauskas ’05 and Dan Shaw ’05 visited Ken’s home in Connecticut and outfitted Ken with a Camera Mouse. He took to it quickly. Right away, Ken was capable of using the on-screen keyboard to type messages. Joel developed a program that allowed Ken to use the Camera Mouse to access email and AOL Instant Messenger.

With the aid of these new applications, Ken was able to keep in touch with his friends from Maryland. They corresponded about work and his favorite team, the Yankees. Ken was often on the Camera Mouse for hours a day, using the internet to maintain these relationships.

In December, Ken succumbed to his illness. His friends and family suffered a great loss. Ken’s family is comforted that his days were made more comfortable with the aid of the Camera Mouse. Ken’s family has decided to donate Ken’s Camera Mouse to another ALS patient. In addition, they have set out to inform the ALS community of the Camera Mouse project.