[bksvol-discuss] Re: Fw: Hand held Reading Machine

  • From: "Rui" <goldWave@xxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2005 16:00:58 -0400

Greetings.

Since the knfb reader is a scanner, it is somewhat appropriate to discuss on this list.

I would still use a conventional scanner for books, but this reader promises to bring a new level of portability for those who can afford it.

I did see the unit and it is fairly small and light weight. I don't know about fitting in a shirt pocket. (but it would definitely fit in a purse comfortably)

There will be a beta testing program going on with approximately 500 users from early october to early january of '06.
The feedback from that testing will help shape the final product that goes on sale later next year.


I am "cautiously" optimistic.


----- Original Message ----- From: "siss52" <siss52@xxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 3:57 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Fw: Hand held Reading Machine




Hey Allison,

That forward is definitely interesting!  Were you at either of the
conventions?  We on the lists haven't heard much about either one of them.
Smile.

Sue S.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Allison Hilliker" <allison.hilliker@xxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 2:41 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Fw: Hand held Reading Machine


Thought some may find interesting.

Allison

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Andrews" <dandrews@xxxxxxxx>




Kurzweil Technologies and National Federation of the Blind premiere the

world's first portable reading machine for the blind KurzweilAI.net, July
11, 2005 Kurzweil Technologies , Inc. ( KTI ) and the National Federation
of
the Blind ( NFB ) introduced the world's first portable reading machine
for
the blind last week at the NFB's

2005 National Convention in Louisville, KY.

The portable reading machine , which can fit in a user's shirt pocket, can
read print and text materials as users go through their normal daily
routine. It converts print into human


-sounding speech and can read handouts at meetings, signs on a wall, text
on
packages, and electronic displays. The hardware consists of a consumer
digital camera with a standard PocketPC, so the hardware cost is expected
to
benefit from the rapid improvement of price-performance of consumer
electronic s. The camera and pocket computer are held together by a
snap-in
case.

The technology was developed by Ray Kurzweil and his colleagues at KTI in
close collaboration with the NFB, which is organizing a comprehensive
testing program with blind users. Ray Kurzweil was the principal developer
of the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, also developed
in close collaboration with the NFB. Ray Kurzweil noted that "The new unit
is 10,000 times smaller than the original 1976 reading machine , yet the
computer it's using is 2,000 times more powerful." This new portable unit
is
expected to be available for sale in 2006.


NFB Director of Strategic Projects Jim Gashel demonstrated the reading
machine to an enthusiastic audience of more than 2,000 blind delegates.
"There was cheering for several minutes while the machine read the
document," said Kurzweil, who followed the demo with a talk explaining the
machine , KTI's collaboration with NFB on the project, and the future of
this technology .


The portable reader provides feedback to the user on what it sees, guiding
the user to properly frame reading material. It can report, for example,
if
one of the edges of a document is out of view. It is also capable of
stitching together portions of a document from multiple pictures taken by
the camera. It can detect and correct any degree of document rotation and
is
insensitive to three degrees of freedom of image tilt or rotation. The
software also includes image-enhancement techniques to compensate for
uneven
illumination and the low quality optics of inexpensive consumer cameras.


Future version will include scene-recognition capabilities to locate
objects
such as chairs, lamps and people.











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