Students from the International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIIT-B) have developed a groundbreaking technology to provide a smooth learning experience for vision-impaired students in physical classrooms.
Mayank Kabra, a final-year M.Tech student, and his peers—Divyansh Singhal, Chinmay Sultania, Soham Pawar, and Anshul Maduwar—created this cost-effective technology to support inclusivity in educational institutions. They have also secured a patent for the “System and method for assisting the visually impaired.”
Kabra mentioned that many visually impaired students struggle to continue their education with peers in schools due to their disability. There are few solutions, often requiring investment in costly devices, separate studies, or discontinuation of education.
Their goal was to help visually impaired students follow along with professors in live classes. The technology consists of hardware mounted on a finger, utilizing a digital board. When the student touches a flat surface, the board is virtually projected onto it. The vibration in the finger device helps them trace shapes, diagrams, or text on the digital board.
The device operates using a six-dot braille system, tiny motors, and microcontrollers. It is as light as an oximeter used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kabra added that the device features braille dots, enabling the user to comprehend text in real-time. These devices will connect via Wi-Fi or a local board to transmit information. The team has been developing the device for about a year. Kabra noted that similar devices on the market are priced over Rs 50,000, but this one will be affordable and accessible to all social groups.
The finger-mounted device is designed with school children in mind, as they are often the first to leave formal education. The IIIT-B team plans to test it in schools and NGOs, believing only minor adjustments will be needed, and children can activate it with a simple button press. The team is seeking collaborators to help manufacture the device at scale and make it available to the public.
Source: TheNewIndianExpress
