Three students design learning system for visually challenged
Staff Reporter

Range of solutions can be customised according to individual needs, say inventors Range of solutions can be customised according to individual needs
* Team gets short-listed for design contest
* Users can learn through voice commands
* Obstacle detection system to guide way

CHENNAI: Arjun, Mayur and Karthick wanted to come up with solutions for the visually impaired using "basic technology" they learnt in classrooms.

The package of solutions developed by the trio from SSN College of Engineering has also got them short-listed for an international design competition organised by the U.S.-based IEEE Computer Society.

"Vision: Engineering Solutions for the Visually Challenged" consists of a computer-assisted interactive e-learning system which helps a visually impaired person learn through voice commands and getting information via a speech engine.

"It is dynamic enough to be customised according to the needs of the person or a blind school," says M. Mayur, a final year student of computer science.

The range of solutions starts with helping a visually impaired person negotiate his way. The "Sonar Obstacle Detection System" based on sound waves, would be mounted on the cap or stick of a visually impaired person. "It will provide voice feedback to persons wearing a blue tooth headset about objects in their way so they can enter a new environment," said Mayur. The next step is "I-Say," say V.S. Arjun and S. Karthick. A person armed with a blue tooth headset and a transmitter could start operating the applications in the room. The team has also developed an attachable Braille key skin.

The idea of helping the visually challenged conceived of by Arjun during a national exhibition, became a project after Mayur got an e-mail from his brother about the design competition.
In September 2004, they sent e-mails to each other on how to go "Beyond Boundaries," the theme of the competition. By April 2005, they were able to put together three modules that would use technology to aid the visually impaired. The sole Indian team, accompanied by their mentor V. Seshadri, will compete with nine other groups from all over the world on June 28 at the Washington DC finals.

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu.