Bhawani Sir,
I would, in all humility, like to strongly disagree with your
statement "Those who are blind but want to look like sighted people
live in a virtual world."
All technological discoveries which have ever been made like screen
readers, etc have always been with a single motive i.e. to ensure that
blind people are able to lead as normal a life as possible.
Anyone who thinks that being blind is cool or that those blind people
who try to appear normal are fooling themselves needs to seriously
reconsider his views.
Whether such a device will be capable of being a substitute for
the white cane or not is an entirely different issue.
But I believe that we should strongly encourage such initiatives which
are made with a view to make the lives of blind people better.
Whenever we say that any XYZ device will not be a good substitute for
the white cane, we assume that every blind person in India is using
the white cane.
I think that this is factually incorrect.
Furthermore, even many of the people who do use the white cane agree
that using the white cane does affect their dignity in some way or the
other.
Therefore, for people like me who don't generally use any mobility
device but instead prefer to take the help of others, devices like
viSparsh will undoubtably be helpful.
Needless to say, these are just my personal views.
Cheers,
Rahul
On 11/10/2012, bhawani shankar verma <bsvermad...@gmail.com> wrote:
> you are absolutely right. especially in indian croud, their is no alternet
> of a white cane.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Vamshi. G" <gvamsh...@gmail.com>
> To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
> Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2012 1:23 PM
> Subject: Re: [AI] Breaking Down Barriers For The Blind
>
>
>>I wonder how anyone can dare say that these devices can substitute white
>>cane. there are many things that the cane does, but can not be done by
>>these devices. however, they can supplement the cane in improving the
>>independence of visually challenged in mobility.
>>
>>
>> Vamshi
>> 9949349497
>>
>> -----Original message-----
>> From: avinash shahi
>> Sent: 11/10/2012, 12:39 pm
>> To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in
>> Subject: Re: [AI] Breaking Down Barriers For The Blind
>>
>>
>> wonderful development indeed.
>> And "many blind people don't like using
>> canes because they want to look as normal as possible."
>> well observed.
>> Thank yu for sharing this Wall Street Journal's Piece
>>
>>
>> On 10/11/12, shahnaz <shycur...@yahoo.co.in> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Among many health-care-related challenges facing developing countries,
>>> visual impairment remains a major issue. Some technology entrepreneurs
>>> are coming up with new ideas for products that could have an impact on
>>> the lives of blind people.
>>>
>>> Globally, the number of visually impaired people, either partially or
>>> completely, is estimated at 285 million, according to the World Health
>>> Organization. More than 90% of visually impaired people live in
>>> developing countries, the WHO data show. Common causes of visual
>>> impairment are myopia, astigmatism, cataracts and glaucoma.
>>>
>>> Visually impaired people in developing countries usually rely on basic
>>> walking canes to detect obstacles around them. While there are
>>> technologically advanced walking canes—such as those equipped with
>>> ultrasonic sensors or laser technology—some young engineers are trying
>>> to provide blind people with alternatives to canes.
>>>
>>> In India, the inspiration for a new device that helps blind people
>>> walk safely came from a motion-sensing technology used for videogames.
>>>
>>> A team of three young Indian engineers—Jatin Sharma, Tushar Chugh and
>>> Rolly Seth—has designed viSparsh, a waist belt that helps a blind
>>> person avoid obstacles that are on and above the ground.
>>>
>>> ViSparsh, one of the 12 finalists in The Wall Street Journal's Asian
>>> Innovation Awards, employs the sensor technology used in Microsoft
>>> Corp.'s MSFT -1.68% Kinect, an accessory for the U.S. company's Xbox
>>> 360 videogame console that enables people to play games using their
>>> body movements and gestures instead of hand-held controllers.
>>>
>>> The three engineers, who met through an academic fellowship program,
>>> started developing viSparsh a year ago and showcased a prototype at
>>> Microsoft's annual developer conference in Bangalore in March. In May,
>>> Microsoft hired them as full-time employees. Still, the engineers
>>> maintain their sole ownership of the viSparsh project, which will
>>> license out the sensor technology used in Kinect.
>>>
>>> The belt-like device has an infrared optic sensor that can detect
>>> obstacles as distant as 3.7 meters, the engineers say. The device was
>>> designed to immediately grasp the direction and distance of the
>>> object, and alerts the user by sending vibration signals from either
>>> the left, center or right part of the belt depending on where the
>>> obstacle is.
>>>
>>> The three engineers are now working on reducing the size of viSparsh
>>> and increasing its efficiency. Mr. Chugh, one of the engineers, says
>>> it will take another eight months before the product hits the market.
>>>
>>> Devices such as viSparsh cannot be a substitute for human vision, but
>>> "they can break down the barriers for blind people," says Sandeep
>>> Kaler, a project manager at the information-technology unit of the
>>> National Association for the Blind, an Indian nonprofit aimed at
>>> empowering the blind through education and training. More than 95% of
>>> blind people in India currently use basic walking canes, according to
>>> Mr. Kaler.
>>>
>>> In India, viSparsh isn't the only attempt to create new devices that
>>> can help the blind navigate the streets more safely. One product that
>>> is being developed is the Smartcane, a white walking cane that uses
>>> ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles up to three meters and sends
>>> vibratory signals to the user. The device was designed by a group of
>>> students at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, and the
>>> institute now runs the project with industrial partners.
>>>
>>> The Smartcane, powered by a rechargeable battery similar to those used
>>> in mobile phones and digital cameras, will cost about 2,000 rupees
>>> ($38), according to M. Balakrishnan, a professor at the computer
>>> science and engineering department of IIT Delhi, who mentored the
>>> students behind the Smartcane project. It is scheduled to hit the
>>> market next summer.
>>>
>>> At present, viSparsh, which isn't yet available to consumers, would
>>> cost more than the Smartcane. Mr. Chugh says the product will
>>> initially cost 8,000 rupees to 9,000 rupees. But, the viSparsh team is
>>> seeking aids and grants from governments and corporate sponsors to
>>> bring down the price to 4,000 rupees or less. If the device can be
>>> mass-produced, its prices would go down even further, he says.
>>>
>>> A major advantage of viSparsh, compared with cane-like devices such as
>>> the Smartcane, is that it frees up the user's hands, says Mohammed
>>> Waseem, a former employee of the National Association for the Blind
>>> who tested viSparsh earlier this year. Mr. Waseem says he hasn't
>>> signed any agreement with team to promote viSparsh belt, nor is he
>>> being paid for it.
>>>
>>> The idea of developing a belt-like device instead of a cane is based
>>> on Mr. Chugh's observation that many blind people don't like using
>>> canes because they want to look as normal as possible. "It will not
>>> just be a technological change, it will also be a cultural change,"
>>> Mr. Chugh said.
>>>
>>>
>>> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443635404578034560033312032.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Avinash Shahi
>> MPhil Research Learner
>> Centre for the Study of Law and Governance
>> Jawaharlal Nehru University
>> New Delhi India
>>
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