[optacon-l] Re: optacon research
- From: "cpond" <cpond@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:07:44 -0500
Blazie Engineering had good intentions to work on the development of a
modern optacon, success or not. Freedom Scientific who received the
research materials and what was left from the NSF grant had no plans to
finish the matter. Marketting, cost, feasibility etc. So, they just did
whatever and let the grant expire. They should have been more honest
publicly about their intentions to scrap the optacon project. I had
corresponded with Dean Blazie and afew others on their initial work on the
project, and interesting it was. However, Freedom Scientific was silent
except for the rhetoric to keep up the project until it became known that
they would not do so.
Remember that Blazie Engineering and two other companies were combined under
Freedom Scientific. Personally, I doubt that the Blazie engineers and techs
knew that the project would be scrapped as long as they had control in it.
Afterwards, what could they do about it? It was then out of their hands.
Last I heard, one of the former Blazie developers had a prototype general
tactile display in his basement, but he had completely shifted his
professional focus and career.
The serious technical (let alone other) challenges of building a marketable
optacon have been covered at length years ago on this list.
Charles
-----Original Message-----
From: Marie Rudys
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 8:16 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: optacon research
Why did they even bother to acquire the product when FS has no intention to
continue it? I just don't understand that at all.
Marie
----- Original Message -----
From: "cpond" <cpond@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 5:09 PM
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: optacon research
> Freedom Scientific destroyed their documentation, prototypes and spare
> parts
> for optacons which they had acquired from Blazie Engineering. Blazie had
> been working on an optacon device and had done some good work for sure on
> displays, software and the processor needed. Freedon Scientific had no
> intention to finish up the project; so, they let the NSF grant expire
> using
> it up, and that was that.
>
> Charles
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: J. R. Westmoreland
> Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 3:30 PM
> To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [optacon-l] Re: optacon research
>
> Currently Freedom Scientific has acquired all Optacon information when
> they
> purchased Telesensory Systems.
> I believe all patents have expired for the system.
> Work is underway to obtain a copy of all the prints and information. Some
> documents have been located and preserved others we don't have.
> There has been some initial discussion with FS but further information and
> discussions are not complete.
>
> Best,
> J. R.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Rebecca Blaevoet
> Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 9:21 AM
> To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [optacon-l] optacon research
>
> Hello cAtherine,
> Your comments about the optacon wizards brings up an interesting point. Is
> the technology still under patent somewhere or can schematics be got by
> private individuals? I have noticed a reticence on the part of engineers
> and
> programmers to give specific information to those not in the inner circle
> as
> it were and I'm wondering if it's concern that someone else, not related
> to
> the said wizards, would develop a modern version of the device sooner? If
> there is no exclusivity, can the relevant schematics/diagrams be made
> available? If there is exclusivity, under whose name is it and was it
> transferred from Telesensory Systems, even though that company saw no
> reason
> to continue manufacturing of the Optacon?
> Perhaps others on this list know the answers to those questions.
> I want to see a modern version of the optacon as soon as may be, no matter
> who invents it!
> Rebecca
>
> On 2011-12-29, at 2:40 PM, Catherine Thomas wrote:
>
>> In approximately 2006 members of this list began an effort to preserve
>> the Optacon. Many unuser and non-working Optacons were located and
>> refurbished by our excellent Optacon repairers--Dave Godfrey in
>> England, Nigel Herring in Australia and Richard Oehm in the U.S. Leo
>> Drell of the U.S. also repairs Optacons. Richard Oehm has been selling
>> refurbished Optacons at a reasonable price including a warranty. You can
> contacct him at:
>> oehmelec@xxxxxxx
>> Phone: 408 971-6250 in the U.S.
>>
>> List mebers have done a lot of outreach to locate Optacon users. We
>> created a survey to help us identify how the Optacon is used in these
>> days of computers and scanners. Please email me if you have not yet
>> filled out the survey and would like to.
>>
>> We have a group of engineers and software experts who call themselves
>> the Optacon wizards. They have been at work on their own time at a
>> possible re-development of the Optacon which would read some of the
>> more modern displays and additional colors.
>>
>> The Optacon is still the only device that reads print in real time
>> without re-interpreting it first. This feature is essential.
>>
>> The Optacon repairers have fabricated a couple of the essential parts
>> to keep the current Optacons running such as a new version of the
>> delicate retina cable. During 2011 progress has been made on figuring
>> out technology for the more modern arrays. Hopefully, in 2012 we will
>> come even closer to a new Optacon. In the meantime we are still
>> looking for non-working or unused machines. If an Optacon can't be
>> repaired it is used for parts.
>>
>> Happy New Year to all.
>> Catherine
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> --------
>> -Catherine Thomas
>> braille@xxxxxxxxx /
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ---------
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>
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