Bill Cameron (Founder, Neil Squire Society)
Encyclopedia
Bill Cameron, BFA, In. Dsn. was a prolific inventor, engineer and founder of the Neil Squire Society
. Bill designed many devices to help people with disabilities including a Sip-and-puff
communication system, and a robot arm called M.O.M (Manipulative Obedient Machine). In his life, Bill was awarded many honors for his work with persons with disabilities.
Born October 11, 1924 in California, Bill moved to Regina
, Saskatchewan
, Canada
where he spent his childhood. When World War II broke out, Bill immediately signed up at CFB Petawawa
. Unfortunately, once there he developed a sinus condition and it was decided that it would be too cold for him in Europe
. He was given a medical discharge. Having dual citizenship, Bill then joined the U.S. Marine Corp to fight in the Pacific. He served overseas during the war as well as in Post-War Japan.
Upon his return to Canada
, Bill enrolled in the Engineering
program at the University of Saskatchewan
but engineering
did not feel like a good fit. After an aptitude test it was decided that Bill would be perfect for the newly created Industrial Design
program. In 1948 he moved to Los Angeles
, enrolled at UCLA through the G.I. Bill, and completed his degree in 1950.
Bill held many interesting positions throughout his career. During his time at UCLA Bill worked part-time designing motors for U.S. Motors Company. He worked there full-time for about a year after graduating. He was hired by Hughes Aircraft
as a designer in 1951 and in 1952 he was sent to Mojave Air Force base to work on a security project. In 1955 he created his own industrial design company. Among the highlights of his company was the creation of the Nest-a-bin liquid shipping container for Kaiser Aluminum
and a design for a sliding door handle used in the 1962 World's Fair
in Seattle. He spent a number of years in Iiyama, Japan where he designing the first honeycomb fiberglass skis, which were used by Yuichiro Miura
to ski down Mt. Everest in 1970.
Upon returning to North America, Bill and his family settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
. Bill was hired to work at the TRIUMF
cyclotron at the University of British Columbia
to design remote handling tools for radioactive experiments.
In December 1980 Bill’s relative, Neil Squire
, was involved in a motor vehicle accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down and unable to speak. With an old teletype machine, Bill put his engineering background to use and designed the “sip-and-puff
” system that allowed Neil to communicate. By “sipping and puffing” in Morse code
, Neil’s words were made visible on a screen. From these efforts, the Neil Squire Society
’s first program, Computer Comfort, was born.
Bill continued to work with Neil and other people with disabilities, teaching them to use computers to increase their independence. He was soon aided by a group of dedicated volunteers, and in 1984, after the death of Neil Squire
, this group was named the Neil Squire Foundation. The Foundation was later renamed The Neil Squire Society
and has since gone on to help thousands of persons with disabilities increase their independence.
Bill was diagnosed with stomach cancer
in October 1990. Though he was told he only had 3 months to live, Bill continued to work tirelessly with the Foundation until his death on March 13, 1993.
Neil Squire Society
Neil Squire Society is a Canadian national not-for-profit organization that empowers Canadians with physical disabilities through advocacy, computer-based assistive technology, research and development, and various employment programs.- History :...
. Bill designed many devices to help people with disabilities including a Sip-and-puff
Sip-and-puff
Sip-and-Puff or Sip 'n' Puff ' technology is a method used to send signals to a device using air pressure by "sipping" or "puffing" on a straw, tube or "wand." It is primarily used by people who do not have the use of their hands...
communication system, and a robot arm called M.O.M (Manipulative Obedient Machine). In his life, Bill was awarded many honors for his work with persons with disabilities.
Born October 11, 1924 in California, Bill moved to Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where he spent his childhood. When World War II broke out, Bill immediately signed up at CFB Petawawa
CFB Petawawa
Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, commonly referred to as CFB Petawawa, or simply "Pet", is a Canadian Forces Base located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by Canadian Forces Land Force Command.-Base facts:...
. Unfortunately, once there he developed a sinus condition and it was decided that it would be too cold for him in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He was given a medical discharge. Having dual citizenship, Bill then joined the U.S. Marine Corp to fight in the Pacific. He served overseas during the war as well as in Post-War Japan.
Upon his return to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Bill enrolled in the Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
program at the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
but engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
did not feel like a good fit. After an aptitude test it was decided that Bill would be perfect for the newly created Industrial Design
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
program. In 1948 he moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, enrolled at UCLA through the G.I. Bill, and completed his degree in 1950.
Bill held many interesting positions throughout his career. During his time at UCLA Bill worked part-time designing motors for U.S. Motors Company. He worked there full-time for about a year after graduating. He was hired by Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
as a designer in 1951 and in 1952 he was sent to Mojave Air Force base to work on a security project. In 1955 he created his own industrial design company. Among the highlights of his company was the creation of the Nest-a-bin liquid shipping container for Kaiser Aluminum
Kaiser Aluminum
Kaiser Aluminum is an American aluminum producer. The company was founded in 1946 by American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. Kaiser entered the aluminum business by leasing, then purchasing three government-owned aluminum facilities in Washington state. These were the primary reduction plants at...
and a design for a sliding door handle used in the 1962 World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
in Seattle. He spent a number of years in Iiyama, Japan where he designing the first honeycomb fiberglass skis, which were used by Yuichiro Miura
Yuichiro Miura
is a Japanese alpinist who in 2003, at age 70, became the oldest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. This record was later broken. However, on May 26 2008, Miura once again successfully summited Mt Everest at the age of 75....
to ski down Mt. Everest in 1970.
Upon returning to North America, Bill and his family settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Bill was hired to work at the TRIUMF
TRIUMF
TRIUMF is Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics. Its headquarters are located on the south campus of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. TRIUMF houses the world's largest cyclotron, source of 500 MeV protons, which was named an IEEE Milestone...
cyclotron at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
to design remote handling tools for radioactive experiments.
In December 1980 Bill’s relative, Neil Squire
Neil Squire
Neil Squire was an accounting student at the University of Victoria and a basketball player. After a car accident left him a high level tetraplegic, Neil’s tireless efforts to learn a new form of communication became the inspiration for the creation of the Neil Squire Society.Born December 24,...
, was involved in a motor vehicle accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down and unable to speak. With an old teletype machine, Bill put his engineering background to use and designed the “sip-and-puff
Sip-and-puff
Sip-and-Puff or Sip 'n' Puff ' technology is a method used to send signals to a device using air pressure by "sipping" or "puffing" on a straw, tube or "wand." It is primarily used by people who do not have the use of their hands...
” system that allowed Neil to communicate. By “sipping and puffing” in Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
, Neil’s words were made visible on a screen. From these efforts, the Neil Squire Society
Neil Squire Society
Neil Squire Society is a Canadian national not-for-profit organization that empowers Canadians with physical disabilities through advocacy, computer-based assistive technology, research and development, and various employment programs.- History :...
’s first program, Computer Comfort, was born.
Bill continued to work with Neil and other people with disabilities, teaching them to use computers to increase their independence. He was soon aided by a group of dedicated volunteers, and in 1984, after the death of Neil Squire
Neil Squire
Neil Squire was an accounting student at the University of Victoria and a basketball player. After a car accident left him a high level tetraplegic, Neil’s tireless efforts to learn a new form of communication became the inspiration for the creation of the Neil Squire Society.Born December 24,...
, this group was named the Neil Squire Foundation. The Foundation was later renamed The Neil Squire Society
Neil Squire Society
Neil Squire Society is a Canadian national not-for-profit organization that empowers Canadians with physical disabilities through advocacy, computer-based assistive technology, research and development, and various employment programs.- History :...
and has since gone on to help thousands of persons with disabilities increase their independence.
Bill was diagnosed with stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
in October 1990. Though he was told he only had 3 months to live, Bill continued to work tirelessly with the Foundation until his death on March 13, 1993.
External links
- http://www.neilsquire.ca/about/history/