I had not heard of the abtim reading device until you mentioned it; that device
might be interesting and worthy of further exploration because it appears to be
able to put a blind person back in contact with the actual printed page. As
much as I hate to see the Optacon "move off-stage," it is happening - slowed
only by those of us who are confirmed Optacon users who still use this device.
I would like to see the abtim reading device explored in greater detail
especially for the sake of young blind persons in grade school and high school
who do not have direct contact with the printed page these days.
I would like to see more information on it - its technical specifications,
price, and the like. As I see it, one "weakness" of the standard Optacon which
would make it a "hard sell" for use in schools these days is the fragile cable
between the retina and the box. We who are experienced Optacon users get along
pretty well with the unit because we have been taught now to take good care of
that cable; but knowing what I hear about kids these days - the way they have
to rush around and carry a lot of stuff with them - putting a standard Optacon
in their hands would be trouble waiting to happen.
Nowadays, with multiplex technology very well developed, it might be possible
to have wireless digital communication between the camera and the box. I
understand that modern pipe-organ makers use data multiplexing to connect the
organ console to the pipe room so that they can now have a cable with far fewer
wires than the cables of old which could sometimes be the diameter of a fire
hose with maybe a few hundred wires in it. Today's multiplexing works fast
enough that you wouldn't detect any delay in the response of the organ compared
to what it would be if you had hard-wire connections for everything in the
instrument. A similar system might be possible to "cut the cord" between the
camera and the "box."
The bottom line in my opinion is that my hat is off to anyone who can develop a
sustainable reading system that would put students and adults in intimate
contact with the actual printed page. Such intimate contact would be great for
showing relationships that sighted people see on a page and take for granted.
I can envision how complex equations might become more intelligible if they
could be examined on a page the way they are laid out on that page. And we
won't even talk about electronic schematics and similar types of diagrams. Any
reading device which would work as well or better than a standard Optacon would
probably have merit in reading that type of material. The key is that the
human mind needs to be the "motor controller" and "image decoder" to gain
greatest benefit.
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf
Of Alain Bardet
Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 11:32 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] abtim reading device
Hi all,
I am a French optacon user and I still enjoy the device!
Have some of you heard about the abtim reading device? What do you think of it?
Cheers stay well and happy new year!
Alain from Paris
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