(VICT) Article: Cell Phone Can Read Documents for Blind
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- Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:34:10 -0500
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Cell Phone Can Read Documents for Blind
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ - 2 days ago=20
BALTIMORE (AP) - 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
K-NFB Reading Technology Inc.: http://www.knfbreader.com
Kurzweil Technologies Inc.: http://www.kurzweiltech.com/ktihome.html
Applied Media Analysis: http://appliedmediaanalysis.com
Hosted by=20
Copyright =A9 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.=20
Source:=20
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jT7V1AIX2DA1bG3T0WOC5WdevGzAD8UEMCIO0
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