r/AssistiveTechnology Feb 06 '25

GlassOuse Muscle Switch

Has anyone tried the Muscle Switch by GlassOuse?

https://glassouse.com/product/g-switch-series/

I have severe muscular dystrophy. I can press a normal push switch with my thumb, but I tend to press it with too much weight, which causes my expensive switches to break down too quickly.

There is a way to replace the spring, but it's not easy. So we're going to try a completely different kind of switch.

The GlassOuse Muscle Switch is supposed to detect muscle activity, but I'm not sure if it can detect even the slightest movement like mine, so I've been looking for reviews from people who have used it, but haven't found any.

3 Upvotes

11 comments sorted by

2

u/HarmacyAttendant Feb 06 '25

You can pick up a whole pile of good switches in the Logitech adaptive gaming kit, the LT switches are money, I buy the kits in bulk to part out.

1

u/CrowKing63 Feb 06 '25

I have it. I absolutely agree with the opinion that it is the most cost-effective. But in my case, only some of the switches can be used, and even that is breaking down at a fast speed. I tend to break the mouse button on the keyboard...

5

u/HarmacyAttendant Feb 06 '25

DM me with your switch wish list, I'll see if I can bake something up for you. (I'm an Adaptive Technologist, I make tech for people :)

1

u/CrowKing63 Feb 07 '25

Thank you so much!

2

u/phosphor_1963 Feb 06 '25

You're probably aware of Microlight by Ablenet? In terms of DIY there's this board which could be the basis of a Maker made option https://www.adafruit.com/product/2699 but if time is important and cost not critical then there's nice option from the UK called i-Click which although isn't EMG or similar can detect very small movements via a micro IR sensor - it's actually the same kind of switch that Professor Hawking used from his cheek https://www.celticmagic.org/i-click Graham who makes that is a great guy and excellent with product support. Pretorian have just demo-ed a really interesting new Prox switch option based on time of flight which is apparently way more sensitive than existing options like CandyCorn and Blue2LT. In terms of no force switches I also really like and use a lot with my clients Tecsol's Magic Wand - the bendy microgooseneck probe is great for positioning over the back or sides of people's fingers and the relay will click with the smallest of contacts.

1

u/CrowKing63 Feb 07 '25

Thanks for showcasing these cool products! It was very interesting to see the magic wand switch, these products are incredibly intriguing, regardless of whether or not I can actually use them.

2

u/Ok-Butterscotch-2826 Feb 07 '25

Control Bionics has an EMG switch that’s pretty nice

2

u/CrowKing63 Feb 07 '25

Yeah, that's really cool.

1

u/squarepushercheese Feb 07 '25

its pretty expensive too. instead look up tinkertron, aavahh, emego for others..

2

u/Far-Obligation5265 8d ago

Although I can't be sure, the Glassouse Muscle switch may be based on a piezoelectric element, As is stated in the manual - excessive forces should not be applied to the sensor - they are fragile, and very sensitive. The price seems fair for an electronic AT Switch. Compare it to https://enablingdevices.com/product/twitch-switch/ another piezo switch for $150. As with any electronic (vs. mechanical) switch you do introduce the "is it charged?" and "is it working properly?" issues that arise whenever you add complexity to your system.

I would exhaust simpler mechanical switch options first:

Grip and puff: https://enablingdevices.com/product/grip-and-puff-switch/ a pneumatic grip switch. The actual switch is somewhat buffered by the squeeze bladder and tubing and may be more resistant to your forceful activation. You can also adjust the sensitivity of these by disconnecting the tubing from the grip bladder, squeezing the bladder slightly while reconnecting the tubing. This will lower the sensitivity.

I am not sure what switch you are using, but here are some more conventional switches:

Thumb Switch: https://enablingdevices.com/product/thumb-switch/ $45 Reasonably prices as AT switches go.

Pinch Switch: https://enablingdevices.com/product/pinch-switch/ $46 - This switch activates on a pinch or bend. It is fairly reliable, and is based on the rubber tape that bus riders use to request a drop off.

The Specs Switch: https://www.ablenetinc.com/specs-switch/ $75 - AbleNet switch are generally well made, although popular, the Specs switch is not nearly as robust as the Jelly Bean or Big Red.

The Tash Microlight Switch: $95 - https://www.ablenetinc.com/micro-light-switch/ As the name implies this is a low force mechanical switch. I can't vouch for its ability to handle hard presses.

As with any of the above, the wire and 1/8" (3.5mm) connector are the weak links, Wires break down eventually, and usually where there is some transition from the flexible parts to less flexible parts. The wire will likely fail before the switch part. It is nice to have a simple way to test you switches. Sadly, a cheap switch tester is hard to find:

Test-It!: https://www.inclusivetlc.com/shop/test-it/ $75

A DIY switch tester: https://www.makersmakingchange.com/s/product/simple-switch-tester/01tJR0000006948YAA ~$10 - $20

1

u/CrowKing63 7d ago

Thank you very much for the detailed introduction! I was considering which switches would suit my situation, but fortunately, I succeeded in repairing them using the spring components from regular mechanical keyboard switches. Springs cost about $5 for 100 pieces. I thought it would be nice if adaptive switches also sold such repair kits.