Alll these inventions, if successful, can make life quite easier for a
visually handicapped person and if sufficient financial support is accorded,
these can revolutionise the world.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Solomon s" <teachs...@gmail.com>
To: "Accessindia" <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 7:19 AM
Subject: [AI] FW: [The vOICe] Pranav and The vOICe in The Times Of
IndiaMumbai
-original message-
Subject: [The vOICe] Pranav and The vOICe in The Times Of India Mumbai
From: Peter Meijer <feedb...@seeingwithsound.com>
Date: 24/01/2011 12:13 am
Hi All,
Appended is an article that appeared today in the section "Review"
of The Times Of India Mumbai, including mention of Pranav and his
use of The vOICe. Thanks Pranav!
Best wishes,
Peter Meijer
Seeing with Sound - The vOICe
http://www.seeingwithsound.com/winvoice.htm
Publication: The Times Of India Mumbai;
Date: Jan 23, 2011; Section: Review; Page: 26.
Mahafreed Irani.
Before you read any further, shut your eyes and then tie a blindfold over
it.
Now, try walking around your home without stubbing your toes on furniture or
banging into walls. Frustrating, isn’t it? Imagine how much worse it would
get
if you had to navigate like this in unfamiliar territory. Well, more than 15
million visually impaired people – and that’s in India alone – live their
lives
in such darkness.Now, imagine what it would be like to wake up one day, and
realise that your body refuses to co-operate with you. Simple tasks like
changing a TV channel, or switching on the lights turn into tedious chores.
Yet,
millions of people from across the country – suffering from diseases such as
muscular dystrophy and arthritis – live with these challenges everyday…
Thankfully, there are a few techies out there who are working on gadgets
that
could help make the lives of these people slightly better…
SMART CANE.
DEVELOPED BY: IIT-Delhi along with Phoenix Medical Systems Pvt Ltd.
WHAT DOES IT DO: Uses bat-like echolocation, and vibrating mechanism to
guide
blind users.
CURRENT STATUS: Preliminary tests successful; could be launched in India
next year.
Four IIT-Delhi undergrads – in collaboration with Phoenix Medical Systems
Pvt
Ltd – have developed a Smart Cane that can sense obstacles up to three
metres
away. It accordingly vibrates to provide blind users with navigation cues.
“Our Smart Cane also alerts users if a fast-moving object or person is
moving
towards them,” says Rohan Paul, who created the device along with Dheeraj
Mehra,
Vaibhav Singh, Ankush Garg. The technology is simple: The cane is equipped
with
an ultrasonic transducer and a vibrator. The former transmits high-pitched
sound
waves that get reflected from anything in front of it. Vibrations are then
produced to give the blind person an indication that something lies ahead.
“Our
product will cost Rs 2,000 and we’ve already received calls from interested
buyers in India, Kenya, Nepal and Pakistan,” says Paul.
The cane – powered by a rechargeable Li-Ion battery – can be charged like a
cellphone, making it convenient. “We carried out tests at an obstacle course
specifically created for visually-impaired users,” Paul informs. “Tables,
railings, neck level horizontal bars and chairs were some of the obstacles
that
had to be avoided to complete the course. The collision rate was
significantly
reduced amongst the 30 users when they used the new cane. We are now working
towards releasing it in the market by next year.”
JELLOW DEVELOPED BY: IDC, IIT-Bombay.
WHAT DOES IT DO: Toy-like gadget helps children with cerebral palsy
communicate
needs and emotions.
CURRENT STATUS: Final stages of testing.
Jellow – equipped with six buttons that can be pressed, thumped and squeezed
just like squishy jell-O – is a new gadget meant for a special category of
children. Designed by the students at Industrial Design Centre (IDC),
IIT-Bombay, the idea behind the “toy” is to help cerebral palsy kids
communicate
emotions. The buttons are placed on a circular disc, to make Jellow look
like a
toy, rather than a “complex and inhuman” thingamajig. “Allowing children
with
special needs to express their emotions remains an unaddressed area,” says
Dhairya Dand, one of the student developers. “I believe in ‘humanizing
technology’ where it becomes a natural extension of ourselves,” he adds. The
basis of the product is what the developers call an Emotional Language
Protocol
(ELP). ELP, which works as Jellow’s interface, is driven by colour, shape,
motion and sound; corresponding to the sensory modes of the visual, the
tactile
and the aural. In addition to this, a catalogue of everyday vocab—food,
play,
study—categorized hierarchically, has been built. If one taps on food, the
subcategories of lunch, dinner and breakfast appear, and tapping on lunch
further displays options like chapati, rice or dal. “The kid can also tap on
any
of the emotion buttons, which would help him express how he feels,” explains
Dand. Jellow’s first prototype was built by students in 2007, under the
guidance
of IDC professor Ravi Poovaiah. And today, there are four versions: One as
an
iPad app, which capitalises on the touch interaction, the second as a
dedicated
touch-screen device, the third as an inexpensive accessory to the PC, and
the
fourth as a web version, which can be used from any computer without any
additional hardware purchase. Jellow is now in its final stages of testing.
Funded by the IDC, Jellow will stay open-source. The iPad app and web
version
are free while the base hardware cost of the touch device is around Rs
6,000.
The computer accessory costs approximately Rs 150.
BIONIC EYE PROJECT DEVELOPED BY: Doheny Retina Institute, USC.
WHAT DOES IT DO: Enables those suffering from Retinitis Pigmentosa to see.
STATUS: On the verge of clinical trials in India.
Boffins from the Doheny Retina Institute at the University of Southern
California – along with US-based Second Sight Medical Products – are working
on a bionic eye meant for the visually challenged suffering from a retinal
disorder known as Retinitis Pigmentosa.
The apparatus consists of a miniature camera mounted on a pair of glasses
that
sends images in the form of electrical signals to the portion of the retina
that
is not damaged by the disease.
“The video camera processes the surroundings. This data is passed through a
microprocessor that transfers it wirelessly to 60 electrodes implanted in
the
eye,” explains Rajat N Agrawal, an Indian ophthalmologist working on the
project
at the university.
“These electrodes stimulate the retina to create a pattern, which the brain
perceives as sight,” he adds.
Agarwal, who plans on bringing the technology to India, is also the founder
of
non-profit Retina India, which is working with various government agencies
to
allow for clinical trials in the country. The handmade device, which takes
about
six months to fabricate, is likely to be cleared for sale in Europe soon.
“Since the treatment costs anywhere between $50,000 to $1,00,000, Retina
India
will be working to help bring down the costs in the near term, and offer a
cheaper device to Indian patients in the long term,” Agarwal says.
ONBOARD DEVELOPED BY: IIT-Delhi.
WHAT DOES IT DO: Gadget uses radio signals to communicate with corresponding
module on bus to inform the visually challenged of route.
CURRENT STATUS: Technology has been demonstrated to the BEST; real-world
tests
yet to be carried out.
OnBoard is a project from IIT-Delhi, where researchers are working towards a
“talking bus”. Desperately seeking the support of public transport providers
such as BEST and DTC, this invention could ensure that thousands of visually
impaired people have a safer commute everyday.
The technology was invented after Dipendra Manocha – managing trustee of
Saksham
Trust that caters to the visually impaired – told the students about the
problems faced by the blind when using public transport.
“Imagine you are a visually-challenged person trying to commute, but don’t
know
what bus has arrived at the stop that caters to 15 other routes,” Manocha
said.
So, undergrads Vaibhav Singh, Dheeraj Mehra, Rohan Paul and Ankush Garg –
who
have also worked on the Smart Cane – created a technology that allows the
blind
to board public transport independently. The system comprises two devices: A
user module that is carried by the person and a bus module, which is
installed
at the entry of the vehicle. Once the user hears a bus approaching the stop,
he
or she presses the query button on the handheld device, which transmits a
radio
signal to the vehicle. The bus module then responds by transmitting its
route
number. Mumbai’s BEST has already looked into the technology, but is yet to
conduct real-world tests.
CePal DEVELOPED BY: Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and
Communication
Technology, Gandhinagar.
WHAT DOES IT DO: Infra-red, gesture-based remote control helps the
motor-impaired, and those with limbrelated disorders to complete routine
tasks
such as operate a TV, AC, lights and fans.
CURRENT STATUS: Prototype development stage.
CePal – meant for the motor-impaired – is a gizmo, which can be worn like a
watch and used to operate infra-red, remote controlled utilities such as
TVs,
ACs, and even lights and fans.
Tilt CePal to the left and one can reduce the volume on a TV screen, tilt it
upwards or downwards and the channels change.
Created by students of Gandhinagar’s Dhirubhai.
Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, CePal was
developed by Sachin Garg, Mohit Maheshwari and Hitesh Sabnani under the
mentorship of their professor Prabhat Ranjan in 2009. “At first, we thought
of
making a mouse, but then we realised that it’d be cooler if we could create
something that would help the handicapped with routine tasks,” Garg says.
There
are a large number of people affected with cerebral palsy who may not use
computers and this device is targeted at making them more self-reliant, he
adds.
But there’s one drawback: CePal – which is currently in the prototype
development stage – has to be customised for each individual. “Every user
has a
different degree of control when it comes to movement,’’ Garg says, “and
users
have to spend enough time with our gizmo before they master its operations.”
CePal, which costs around Rs 900, is currently designed to assist people who
are
partially handicapped, and those suffering from arthritis, paralysis or any
other limb-related disorders.
ADITI.
DEVELOPED BY: IIT-Madras.
WHAT DOES IT DO: Helps people with debilitating diseases – such cerebral
palsy
and severe muscular skeletal disorders – to communicate using simple
gestures.
CURRENT STATUS: Prototype testing in India and South-east Asia; set for
launch
in February.
Many people – suffering from some debilitating disease or the other – are
unable
to communicate verbally or even gesture to indicate what they might require.
Their option, therefore, is some sort of a screen-based device – which they
have
to always carry around – running software that provides them with visual
options; whether it is to indicate an emotion, specify whether they are
hungry
or thirsty, or to make simple choices such as ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
But then, there are those that can’t even move their fingers to click on the
options… For these patients, researchers at IIT Madras have created a new
gizmo
that lets them ‘click’ and communicate using simple gestures.
Using ADITI, these patients can nod their heads, move their feet or simply
shake
their hands to generate a mouse click.
An acronym for Analog Digital Theremin Interface, ADITI is an indigenous USB
device that senses movement within a six-inch radius. And, when accompanied
with
communication software – generally in the form of a graphical, choice-based
menu
system – the device can prove to be a great boon for patients who suffer
from
severe muscular skeletal disorders.
“ADITI enables people to choose from a list of alphabets, words or pictures
to
express themselves,’’ says Anil Prabhakar, the inventor of ADITI and
professor
at the department of electrical engineering, IIT-Madras.
Set to launch by February this year, the device has already undergone three
revisions. “We are in the process of field-testing a proto batch of 20 in
India
and the south-east Asia,’’ says Raja Shanmugam, CEO, Mindtree Foundation
that
supports ADITI.
Ultrasonic Haptic Helmet.
DEVELOPED BY: Ahmedabad-based CU College of Engineering and Technology.
WHAT DOES IT DO: Helmet employs echolocation to “see” the surroundings;
vibrates
to provide “handsfree” navigational cues.
CURRENT STATUS: Work in progress.
Engineering student Dhyey Rawal and his classmates from Ahmedabad-based CU
College of Engineering and Technology have created a lightweight helmet
equipped
with an ultrasonic “rangefinder” sensor that can sense objects in the
vicinity.
And, every time an obstacle is detected using the technology, motors in the
helmet vibrate to alert the user about the direction he should take.
The apparatus works like this: Six tiny micro-vibrators are mounted on the
inner
side of the headgear, with each of them covering an arc of 30 degrees. These
vibrators take their cue from the rangefinder that rotates at the top of the
helmet.
Rawal, Jainam Shah and Manthan Shukla, all students of biomedical and
instrumentation engineering visited the Blind People’s Association in
Ahmedabad
where they tested the apparatus.
Ramji Bhai, a visually impaired person who was involved in the testing – and
pictured with Rawal (top) – says: “My hands were free this helmet. I could
board
a bus easily and pick too. It made things a bit easier...”
After user feedback, the helmet was work in accordance to the rules of the
white.
“We want to get a R&D company to support can make sure that our haptic
helmet is
actual product,” Rawal says. “It is a simple, an easy-to-operate device.
Also,
switching cane to the headgear can be quite seamless as use the same
principles,” he says.
The helmet is powered by two 9V batteries day, a micro sensor and a
reprogrammable creators intend to develop it further so that it detect
speed-breakers and potholes.
vOICe DEVELOPED BY: Dutch scientist Peter Meijer.
WHAT DOES IT DO: Software enables the blind to “see” by converting visuals
into
a ‘soundscape’.
CURRENT STATUS: Downloadable software available at www.seeingwithsound.com
Pranav Lal uses his ears to ‘read’ visual cues while commuting in and around
Delhi. Visually impaired since birth, the 31-year-old information security
consultant uses a pair of headphones to listen to what you and me might
mistake
for meaningless jumble of sounds. But for Lal, these sounds paint a picture
of
his surroundings.
The apparatus that helps this B-school graduate “see” also comprises a pair
of
‘Made in China’ eye glasses that are equipped with a mini camera, capable of
capturing images in real-time, and a netbook equipped with a software called
vOICe (where OIC stands for Oh, I see).
The camera feed is sent to the netbook after which the free-off-the-internet
software converts those images into sounds.
“The higher the object, the higher the pitch of the sound; the brighter the
object, the louder the sound, and so on and so forth,” Lal reveals.
He uses vOICe when he’s in a car, “to see the trees outside” or when he’s at
the
beach “to see the waves play with the rising sun and rocks”.
With the software – which has been designed by Dutch scientist Peter
Meijer –
Lal can perceive the environment around him without having to “grope for
items
or follow the wall”.
The application works on Android and Symbian phones too, making it portable
for
long-distance travel. Lal is a photo-enthusiast and takes pictures using
vOICe
to help him align himself in front of the object he wants to capture. “I can
now
even access art as the software has a colour recognizer,’’ he says.
But making sense of the soundscape is not easy, he adds. “It will take some
amount of practice to actually be able to benefit from the technology.”
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