Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!115!778.1!Eric.Bohlman
From: Eric.Bohlman@p1.f778.n115.z1.fidonet.org (Eric Bohlman)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: RE: HANDICAPPED TOOLS
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Date: 18 Jan 90 21:02:36 GMT
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Index Number: 6336

 PN>    I remember a device that came out over 15 years ago called an 
 PN> Opticon. This was a hand held scanner that would scan any type of text 
 PN> or simple line drawings and convert that info into vibrations on a 
 PN> series of wires that formed the letters onto your fingertip. The 
 PN> Opticon then cost only $300 and was quite an advance in technology. I 
 PN> wonder why they can not build off of that and come up with one that 
 PN> reads character to the computer and maintains a reasonable cost.

I think the price was closer to $3000.  In the early 80's the VA helped out  
with a project by TSI (makers of the Optacon) to provide it with speech  
output.  Nothing ever came of it; apparently TSI put all their efforts into  
trying to make the speech sound natural and it wasn't until the last minute  
that they realized that the camera they were using didn't have enough  
resolution for OCR.  The VA also commissioned a project to provide the Optacon  
with tonal output (similar to the Stereotoner).  A few prototypes were built,  
but NO documentation was produced and the project died.
 

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