[Arizona-students] Fw: [Promotion-technology] Cell Phone Can Read Documents for Blind

[Allison Hilliker]

>>
>>Cell Phone Can Read Documents for Blind
>>By ALEX DOMINGUEZ (Associated Press Writer)
>> From Associated Press
>>January 28, 2008 12:18 AM EST
>>BALTIMORE - Chris Danielsen fidgets with the cell phone, holding it
>>over a $20 bill.
>>
>>"Detecting orientation, processing U.S. currency image," the phone
>>says in a flat monotone before Danielsen snaps a photo. A few
>>seconds later, the phone says, "Twenty dollars."
>>
>>Danielsen, a spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind, is
>>holding the next generation of computerized aids for the blind and
>>visually impaired.
>>
>>The Nokia cell phone is loaded with software that turns text on
>>photographed documents into speech. In addition to telling whether a
>>bill is worth $1, $5, $10 or $20, it also allows users to read
>>anything that is photographed, whether it's a restaurant menu, a
>>phone book or a fax.
>>
>>While the technology is not new, the NFB and the software's
>>developer say the cell phone is the first to incorporate the
>>text-to-speech ability.
>>
>>"We've had reading devices before," Danielsen said, noting similar
>>software is already available in a larger handheld reader housed in
>>a personal digital assistant. Companies such as Code Factory SL,
>>Dolphin Computer Access Ltd. and Nuance Communications Inc. also
>>provide software that allows the blind to use cell phones and PDAs.
>>
>>Inexpensive hand-held scanners such as WizCom Technologies Ltd.'s
>>SuperPen can scan limited amounts of text, read it aloud and even
>>translate from other languages.
>>
>>However, the $2,100 NFB device combines all of those functions in
>>one smart phone, said James Gashel, vice president of business
>>development for K-NFB Reading Technology Inc., which is marketing
>>the phone as a joint venture between the federation and software
>>developer Ray Kurzweil.
>>
>>"It is the next step, but this is a huge leap," Gashel, who is
>>blind, said in a telephone interview. "I'm talking to you on the
>>device I also use to read things. I can put it in my pocket and at
>>the touch of a button, in 20 seconds, be reading something I need to
>>read in print."
>>
>>Ray Kurzweil, who developed the first device that could convert text
>>into audio in the 1970s and the current NFB device, said portability
>>is only the first step. Future versions of the device will recognize
>>faces, identify rooms and translate text from other languages for
>>the blind and the sighted.
>>
>>The inventor plans to begin marketing the cell phone in February
>>through K-NFB Reading Technology. The software will cost $1,595 and
>>the cell phone is expected to cost about $500, Kurzweil said.
>>
>>Dave Doermann, president of College Park-based Applied Media
>>Analysis said his company is working on similar software for smart
>>phones that could be used by the military for translation and by the
>>visually impaired.
>>
>>"We don't anticipate ours being that expensive, but unfortunately
>>we're not quite to the release yet," said Doermann, who is also
>>co-director of the University of Maryland's Laboratory for Language
>>and Media Processing.
>>
>>Doermann said the company, which has received funding from the
>>Department of Defense and the National Eye Institute, hopes to have
>>its software ready in the next 12 to 18 months.
>>
>>Kurzweil's device uses speech software provided by Nuance, said
>>Chris Strammiello, the director of product management at Nuance, who
>>said the company has also developed a prototype reader that uses the
>>Internet to access more powerful server-side computers.
>>
>>"As you can harness the power of remote environments and do that so
>>quickly with the Web technologies, it gives a lot more capability,
>>flexibility and options to the way you solve these type of
>>problems," Strammiello said.
>>
>>There are about 10 million blind and visually impaired people in the
>>U.S., a number that is expected to double in the next 30 years as
>>baby boomers age.
>>
>>Kurzweil said those with vision problems are not the only ones
>>expected to benefit from the technology. Dyslexics, for example, are
>>expected to be among the users of the current device because of its
>>ability to highlight each word as it's read aloud, helping them cope
>>with their disability, which affects the ability to read. The
>>highlighting function can also help them improve their reading skills, he 
>>said.
>>
>>"What's new here is both blind people and kids can do this with a
>>device that fits in their shirt pocket," Kurzweil said.
>>
>>Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said
>>the device and its PDA predecessor are a "form of hand-held vision"
>>that will make the visual environment "much more readily available
>>to the blind."
>>
>>---
>>
>>National Federation of the Blind: <http://www.nfb.org>http://www.nfb.org
>>
>>K-NFB Reading Technology Inc.:
>><http://www.knfbreader.com>http://www.knfbreader.com
>>
>>Kurzweil Technologies Inc.:
>><http://www.kurzweiltech.com/ktihome.html>http://www.kurzweiltech.com/ktihome.html
>>
>>Applied Media Analysis:
>><http://appliedmediaanalysis.com>http://appliedmediaanalysis.com
>>
>>Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
>
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