Tuesday 15 July 2014

Finger Reader ring for the blind

(A model wears a FingerReader ring at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo Stephan Savoia)
Some of the Kenyan institution’s catering to the visually impaired use Dolphin pen as tool to enable them to interact with Technology. An example of the institutions is Kenyatta University that also provides Ipad and Ipods to enable the interaction. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing an audio reading device(a prototype produced by a 3-D printer) to be worn on the index finger of people whose vision is impaired, giving them affordable and immediate access to printed words in real time.
The FingerReader fits like a ring on the user’s finger, equipped with a small camera that scans text. A synthesized voice reads words aloud, quickly translating books, restaurant menus and other needed materials for daily living, especially away from home or the office.
Developing the gadget has taken three years of software coding, experimenting with various designs and working on feedback from a test group of visually impaired people. he FingerReader would not replace Braille — the system of raised dots that form words, interpreted by touch. Instead, Shilkrot said, the new device would enable users to access a vast number of books and other materials that are not currently available in Braille.
Video http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/08/fingerreader-read-blind-mit_n_5565898.html
(Source Huffing post)

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