Dear Friends,
I am reposting an article from Express India regarding what is a mobile scanner developed by CSIO, Chandigarh. I also have a request to Mr. Ramkrishna in particular and to the members in general. In case anyone has the contact details of CSIO, could you please forwardd them to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks in advance. Express India Sunday, December 17, 2006 Braille outdated, city institute out with device that scans, reads text By Neelam Sharma Chandigarh, December 17: IN an effort to provide reading material and help visually impaired persons from depending on Braille, city-based Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) has developed a new Hand Held Reading Machine that can scan and read out texts. Developed over three years, the Ministry of Communications-funded project has been built in collaboration with C-DAC, Noida. According to CSIO scientists, two pre-fitted cameras in the device scan the text matter, which is then read out by a special software. The CSIO has already filed a patent for it, and scientists there said it is likely to cost less than Rs 50,000. The machine's inventor, Dr H K Sardana, told Newsline: "The device can be held with ease by a visually impaired person as the text is scanned by the two cameras. And even as the text is being scanned, one can listen to it at the same time." According to the CSIO scientist, one does not need to learn Braille to use the device. Sardana said the device weighs less than 500 grams, and a visually impaired person just needs to hold the machine vertically, place it on a book and move it as per the text. The cameras scan the text as the device moves on paper. According to scientists, the device can at present read English and Hindi, though work is on to make it adaptable to regional languages, too, in collaboration with C-DAC. Interestingly, the scientists are also developing a version to read "Indian accent English", as the feedback received says "pure English accent" is a little difficult to understand. "We have conducted first-phase trials at the Institute of Blind in Sector 26 here, and the results were satisfactory," Sardana said. "We are at present conducting second-phase trials at the National Institute of Visual Handicap, Dehradun." Sardana said CSIO is also working on enlarging the device's scope so that it can scan and read newspapers as well. The current version cannot read columns, as found in newspapers. Concept already a big hit The invention is yet to move out of CSIO's laboratory, but that does not stop the target group from sending in requests. K Ramkrishna, a general manager with IDBI Bank in Mumbai, told Newsline over telephone that he has written to CSIO, inquiring about the device since "it is more advanced and user-friendly than anything we have in the country at present". A visually impaired person, Ramkrishna said he got his professional qualifications - an MBA and MA Economics and Statistics - without learning Braille. "Visually challenged people would want to own this machine," Sardana said, reacting to the plethora of requests, "now we only need a suitable marketing agency to take the machine from our laboratory." Sardana said CSIO is receiving a majority of the requests from teachers, advocates and trainers from across India. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=213588 Regards Sameer Latey Mumbai, India Mob. 9867414004 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
