Hi Alfi.
I like your idea.
The problem with this that some children have specific needs. In the past I constructed special devices (mostly for disabled people), but they where almost all tailormade.
Tommy

I don't think you'll be able to build a decent device out of recycled parts. Standardization and shipping costs (and flexibility of modern parts) will probably make it too appealing to worry about focusing on recycled parts.

But to pursue this I think you really need to focus on exactly how the device looks, how the UI operates... all the details.

Although the $100 laptop does not have multi-touch, can you list off the other features you want it does not have?

They have these in Japan.

]V[oogy

I agree with vanhees that most of the needs by children with special needs are unique. It might be good if it was more of a hardware/software platform that enabled others to create unique devices by easily adding modules to it.

I actually think that using recycled parts is a good idea - one argument against is that it will be difficult to standardise components, but on the other hand Tommy is right and many of the children we're talking about will have special needs and require a custom design anyway. The question is, can you put together such a project and still make a profit on it?

Love all multi-touch ideas, TED was were I first saw it as well. Well I was'nt attending TED, but saw the video on their website.

I agree with others, it might be hard to capitalize on this idea, but if you kept it simple... You would have to use something other than FTIR like the TED demonstration used and more like the apple iPhone's touch technology. Sounds expensive, but I bet we see cheap touch sensitive devises very soon on the market so maybe you could hit somewhere between $100 and $200.

Maybe you could start collecting broken iPhones to recycle them. :)

As stated above, it would be extremely difficult to use recycled hardware and maintain any sort of consistency and standardization of the product.

However, I think that there would be potential in creating some sort of easily-cleaned dumb-terminal or monitor/touch-screen/keyboard that connects back to a central server. This device could be marketed to childrens wards or doctors offices as an alternative to the toys and games already present in many of the waiting areas they have now.

In this way you could have a number of these devices made cheaply (so that they could be broken and easily replaced) and only one server to maintain that actually has any decent hardware.

This may not specifically apply to disabled children as mentioned in the description, but its certainly one angle that could be taken. Let me know if you'd like to discuss further.

So you're going to make a small touchscreen computer that is mostly used for web browsing and internet games out of junk parts?

Great idea - the stuff that's out there right now is Expensive - think $25K!

The basic touchscreen hardware doesn't come cheap ($2Kish if it's portable with decent specs), but if you could get it down like this:

http://www.engadget....ptop-for-the-people/

(which sadly appears to be turning out as a scam....) it would fly like a jet.

Dell manages to use outdated and recycled hardware and maintain an air of consistency and standardization of its product quite well.

I thing GordonMcDowell has the right idea... maybe this could be a value-added reseller for the $100 laptop, possibly with some additional peripherals.

this sounds very good but it is different for each children.

Seems to be nice,
But the major problem, how can children handle that device.
And i am sure its gonna b expensive one, and what if its just breaks..?

good idea. the device could also be used by brain injury patients during recovery.

Sounds good but I'm sure not new anymore!

I agree on the recycled hardware comments. Economies of scale and the state of technology point toward using newer parts. They will be more power efficient and cheaper. (Plus you won't have to worry about finding a reliable source of parts)

If you did this you would want to minimize moving parts. So use flash memory instead of hard disks etc. Think an IPod but built to be handled in any way a child can think to abuse it.

In fact that makes me think... You might even be able to hack some of the iPod hardware to get some some of this done. The nanos are already solid state devices and have to ability to run applications (They have solitaire included on them) No reason you couldn't write some custom applications and tweak the display output.

i believe this has been done before as musical instrument...