We know that blind people can read those things written in Braille system. But researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has designed a 3D printed ring called FingerReader that helps blind people read in real time.
The blind users have to wear the device on their finger like a ring. Then the users simply have to point their finger at the text they want to read.
The FingerReader is equipped with a tiny camera that can scan text and a synthesized voice will read the words aloud.
The device has also vibration motors that let the blind users know if their fingers are straying from the written text. In this way, blind people can read various items such as books, restaurant menus, formal documents, maps, and anything on a computer screen.
62-year-old Jerry Berrier, a man who was born blind and now works for a government program in the US that distributes technology to help low-income people who have lost their sight and hearing has said that he hadn’t come across any other devices like this that could read printed words in real time. He said, “Everywhere we go, for folks who are sighted, there are things that inform us about the products that we are about to interact with. I wanna be able to interact with those same products, regardless of how I have to do it.”
Roy Shilkrot, a team member of the MIT Media Lab has mentioned that the FingerReader would not replace Braille. The team is now working to get the device through testing so that it can be brought into market soon. Here’s a video of FingerReader.
Source: MIT (1), MIT (2)
Thanks To: PHYSORG
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