[Reader-users] How far away are we from this?

[MARK FELIZ]

How far away are we from this?
Well, it seems to me that the Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader has achieved most of this list. Perhaps it would be wise for Mr. Gashel to get in contact with the developers of this project and demonstrate our K-NFB Reader. Perhaps President Maurer, with his involvement in the World Blind Union, should let these developers know that they may be spinning their wheels?
 
 
Mark Feliz
National Federation of the Blind of Arizona
East Valley Chapter President
From:
John Freiss <jmfreiss at verizon.net>
Reply-To:
Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
To:
Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader userslist<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Subject:
[Reader-users] How far away are we from this?
Date:
Sun, 25 Feb 2007 10:51:38 -0600 (CST)
>Software is being developed to allow vision impaired people xto read
>
>information on the digital display screens of electronic household
>
>products and at supermarket checkouts, a Spanish company has
>
>announced.
>
>The DISPLAYER will allow vision impaired users to read everyday
>
>information displays including dynamic displays, such as those on
>
>microwaves, digital clocks, boilers and those found at public transport
>
>stations and supermarket checkouts.
>
>The device would ultimately take the form of software or an
>
>application that could be installed on a smartphone or personal digital
>
>assistant (PDA) with a built-in camera. To read something on a
>
>display, users would hold the mobile device near it, capture an image
>
>of it and the system would interpret and read the content aloud using
>
>speech output technology.
>
>"To help them capture the image of the display," said Igone Idígoras
>
>Leibar, Principal Researcher at Robotiker-Tecnalia
>
>(
>
>http://www.robotiker.com/ ),
>
>the Spanish company behind the technology. "It orientates the user
>
>with [speech output], for example, it would say 'on the image there is
>
>no display' or 'move the camera to the right so that the display
>
>appears,'".
>
>User testing with vision impaired people is due to start shortly. "Our
>
>idea is that the end users participate [in the development], not only at
>
>the end of the project but from the initial stages that we are now at,"
>
>Leibar said. Tests have begun to ensure the device is usable in various
>
>lighting conditions, carried out by over 80 people using 500 appliances
>
>in their homes using different types of digital camera.
>
>Last October the DISPLAYER project won the top award of 240,000
>
>Euros in a competition run by Spain's national blindness organisation
>
>ONCE to recognise technology research projects helping vision-
>
>impaired people. ONCE has undertaken to test and evaluate the final
>
>prototype, due to be ready in 2008.
>
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