Reader for the blind

The electronics in them isn't quite that simple yet.

Well, you'd think there was enough of a market. But I guess it is not worldwide, and some type of insurance often pays for this. Which means that prices will be high :(

ISTR about some innovation in braille lines. Or did you mean camera-OCR-voice-speaker setups?

Thomas

I read science news and describe the articles to my blind friend. They don't have issues on tape. It is a shame because she understands everything I tell her.

A camera - OCR - voice synthesizer combo seems like a very realistic thing to develop. Could be a killer application of some kind of handheld platform even, and looks like a project that could attract sponsorship from the right industries...

Thomas

I think one of the problems that needs solving is the way OCR technology handles magazine page layout. Editors tend to mix up articles in columns so that after OCR you find fragments of articles mixed in with others. Perhaps it would be better to push for online electronic editions for the blind?

Yes it's easy to assume that just because someone has a handicap they must have different interests to the rest of us. (Aside: I was once soundly beaten in a dingy race by several blind sailors who it seems could feel and hear the effect of the wind on the sails better than I could see it).

I expect you have already found the New Scientist web site but in case not here is the URL...

There are programs available to help blind people use computers and navigate the internet. They work by describing what's under the pointer and converting text to speech (eg reading it out through the speakers). Sorry if you know about this stuff.

Colin

In article , CWatters writes

Even 'text only' online versions would go most of the way there. The graphics rich content of most web pages is beyond belief - if what you want to do is just to know the content.