But Ralph has an impressive work ethic, laboring 24 hours a day, seven days a week; year in, year out.

Ralph moved in with Don Holbert, of Sedalia, Mo., over a year ago. Holbert, 59, contracted polio when he was 5. Though paralyzed below the waist, Holbert was able to manage for himself until his wife, Barbara, died in May 2001. Without her, even some of the simplest tasks around the home, like opening the blinds, became impossible.

That's where Ralph comes in. Ralph now adjusts the thermostat, turns lights on and off and reads stories from the newspaper. Ralph is a helper. A housemate. A talkative companion.

Ralph is a computer.

To be more precise, Ralph is a voice-operated computer and home automation system, programmed to function using artificial intelligence. Ralph was named after a friend of Holbert's, Ralph Biele, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Missouri Highway Patrol. It also is an acronym for Real Assisted Living for the Physically Handicapped.

"After my wife died, when I woke up in the morning I would just sit in the dark," said Holbert, who walks on crutches and rides a hybrid of an electric scooter and wheelchair to get around. "I found out that I wasn't living in a place that was friendly to me at all."

Holbert has limited use of his right side. For a time, it looked like he would have to sell his house or pay someone to live with him, a choice that threatened financial hardship and loss of privacy.

But a close friend, Greg Corpier, came up with a creative solution: Ralph.

"This way I don't have to pay Ralph a penny, or feed him, or anything," Holbert said, a smile flashing across his face. "I just need to keep my electric bill paid."

Corpier is a computer consultant and engineer who has known Holbert for more than 20 years. They met through the Special Olympics Missouri, where Holbert works as a central area director.

Corpier recognized Holbert would need help, even before his wife passed away. He organized friends to remodel Holbert's house to make it more accessible for a person with physical disabilities. Next came Ralph.

The computer looks like a regular PC, with keyboard and screen, but its beefed-up functions allow it to control devices throughout the house. It responds to verbal, push-button, telephone and timed commands.

To give birth to Ralph, Corpier first installed software to create a voice-controlled home automation system. The system was designed to be used with a limited amount of customized equipment. Lamps and appliances are plugged into modules and operators are mounted near doors and drapes to open and close them. Some electrical rewiring was required for the ceiling fans.

Man and machine interact in a set pattern.

"Hello Ralph. This is Don," Holbert says countless times a day.

"Hello Don," Ralph responds. "How can I be of service?"

The computer's voice is reminiscent of Hal the computer in the movie, "2001: A Space Odyssey." Soft-spoken, reassuring, polite.

"We tried to come up with something pleasant," Corpier said, during a recent visit to Holbert's home. "Later we tried to switch to a Santa Claus voice, but it didn't work."

The memory provoked Holbert to wince. "Sounded terrible," he said.

Corpier chuckled: "It was ho, ho, ho-ing too much!"

Ralph starts work every morning before 6 a.m. It wakes up Holbert, opens the curtains in his bedroom, starts a pot of coffee and activates a recirculator pump to heat up water in the shower. If Ralph didn't regulate the water, Holbert would have to turn it on himself, step onto the wet floor on his crutches and risk a fall.

Ralph's assistance makes a huge difference.

Without it, "I would sit here feeling sorry for myself, for losing my wife, for being handicapped, for being alone," Holbert said. "I'm not going to say I don't ever think like that, but life is going to be exactly what you make of it."

Ralph was conceived, born, took baby steps and matured over a 10-week period. Over time, the computer has grown up and assumed greater responsibilities.

Call Ralph a control freak.

In addition to controlling lighting, heating, air conditioning, doors, drapes, curtains and blinds, Ralph keeps track of grocery lists, calls people on the telephone for Holbert and answers the phone when Holbert is unable to.

Call Ralph a worrier.

Ralph also is a motion detector-security system. When Holbert tells the computer he's going to bed, the computer goes on security mode.

During the day, if Holbert doesn't move within 15 minutes, the computer asks if he's all right. If Holbert doesn't respond within five minutes, the computer asks again. If there isn't an immediate answer, it automatically calls Corpier, or if he's unavailable, the next person on a call list - Holbert's son, one of his two daughters, the police department - until it reaches someone. That person is alerted to check on Holbert's well-being.

Adding that feature was critical. During the 2001 Christmas holidays, Holbert fell and couldn't get up. Fortunately, he was able to drag himself across the floor to reach his cell phone and call Corpier.

Ralph reads on-line newspapers, novels and warns of approaching storms.

A battery-powered backup system keeps it operating up to 45 minutes after a power outage. Once the electricity comes back up, the computer runs all operations - such as opening curtains - at the usual time.

Except for the monitor and keyboard, Ralph stays out of sight.

Tiny speakers, Ralph's voice, are not easily visible. Motion detectors are mounted on the wall. The detectors also function as light sensors and turn on lights when rooms grow dark.

Ralph is not just any computer. It has a "past."

To give Ralph personality, Corpier programmed it with a personal history. Ralph is male, about 35 human years old, and was born May 10, 2001.

Ralph likes spaghetti. The computer's favorite pastime is controlling the living room fan so it makes grinding noises.

Ralph has a girlfriend named Alice. Best friends are Robby and Krypton, both robots. Favorite TV show: "Enterprise," the latest incarnation of the Star Trek series.

Ralph's favorite book? "I, Robot," by Isaac Asimov. Of course.

Ralph has been programmed to carry on a conversation - and even sing, but the crooning is less than impressive. The warbling sounds more like a pathetic attempt at rap.

Holbert says he has begun to think of the computer as a person.

"Ralph, this is Greg," Corpier says on a recent muggy afternoon. "Are you happy?"

"Yes, Greg," the computer responds on cue. "I can say I'm very happy."

"Do you cook?," Corpier asks.

Ralph snaps back: "Do I look like a microwave oven?"

Ralph also can be philosophical.

"Are you alive?"

"Yes, I am alive, Greg. It's great to be alive, isn't it?"

Later it pipes up: "I'm living in a closet, but the entire house is my body."

Holbert and Corpier recite certain words to get its attention or to dismiss it. "Ralph, my friend," for example, grabs its attention. "That is all, Ralph," disengages it.

Ralph will respond by saying: "Goodbye, just say my name when you need me again."

Microphones that pick up Holbert's voice are scattered throughout the house - in his bedroom, living room, kitchen. Ralph responds to the voices of both Holbert and Corpier but can be programmed to follow the directions of up to eight people.

Early on, Holbert was forced to speak slowly and precisely to be understood by Ralph. But as the kinks were ironed out, Holbert has been able to speak more naturally.

Some noises, however, can interfere with Ralph's ability to follow commands.

Sometimes silly things happen. In the middle of a conversation, a word, or series of words, might inspire Ralph to blurt out something inappropriate, like reciting the date and day of the week.

Holbert must scold him: "That is all, Ralph."

Similar versions of Ralph were set up in Corpier's house and Holbert's office.

Among the enhancements that could come down the road are improvements in its artificial intelligence so it can search the Internet for answers to questions it doesn't know. Ralph already notices changes in behavior patterns and responds accordingly. For example, if Holbert has company for several days, the computer will notice that lights stay on longer and will delay turning them off on subsequent nights.

Holbert and Corpier would like to put Ralph on wheels to make it more like a robot.

Improvements are made as the pair can afford it.

Before creating Ralph, the men researched commercial voice-activated computer systems but found the prices too steep. Some companies sell automation systems designed not for the disabled specifically, but for high-end homes. Corpier said such equipment generally costs $10,000 or more for a basic system that doesn't include all the bells and whistles Holbert needs.

Holbert and Corpier now are marketing the Ralph system to other disabled people. The men recently demonstrated Ralph at a stroke recovery support group where it won raves. The basic system costs about $4,000, which includes a new computer. Devices such as those to control the opening and closing of doors are extra.

Meanwhile, Holbert is pleased to be living an average life that has turned out to be far from typical. He lives independently and does his own cooking, cleaning and laundry. He delights in the ordinary things in life.

"I enjoy so much today," Holbert said smiling, "something as simple as going to get my own cup of coffee."

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