Product and Technology

New Zealand's first talking bank cash machines (ATMs)

I.B.M. launches improved web accessibility software

I.B.M. has launched new software that makes it easier for users – especially those with visual and motor impairments – to access and navigate the Web. The software will make it possible for Web pages to be automatically narrated or magnified. IBM announced that it is contributing Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language (DHTML) accessibility technology software to the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox 1.5 version Web browser.

Latest innovation describes onstage action to blind theatre-goers

Narration begins even before the lights go down, describing everything the audience sees on stage before curtain. It is automated and synchronized with sound and lighting cues, to accommodate pacing variations from performance to performance.

"Wicked is filled with exciting visual elements; trap doors open, characters slide down ropes, jokes revolve around the fact that the wicked witch is green," said T. Richard Fitzgerald, theatrical sound designer and CEO of Sound Associates, Inc.

A special cane for visually impaired persons

Anandan, a daily wage earner in a confectionery-making unit in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu was upset when he saw a blind man falling into a pit and struggling to regain control. The incident inspired him to develop a cane that would inform the holder if an obstacle was near.

His walking stick works with the help of two battery cells and a secially fitted three-foot aerial, which vibrates whenever the user comes across an obstacle.

IBM's ViaVoice – latest in assistive technology

Wireless audio descriptions in sports stadiums targeted at blind spectators

When a sporting event is on, many visually impaired fans are forced to rely on radio commentary and this can be frustrating. “The trouble with radio commentary is the regular interruptions while reports come in from other matches, other sports, or even traffic updates,” said Eleanor Ellison of the Royal National Institute for the Blind, (R.N.I.B), UK.

VoiceSignal to release embedded speech synthesis for mobile phones

VoiceSignal, the leading provider of speech solutions for mobile devices, demonstrated the speech synthesis research project in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA.

Called VSpeak (T.M.) the new technology approach for embedded speech synthesis for mobile phones will hit the market of mobile phones later this year.

Dell accessible computers for visually impaired U.S. veterans

In a contract signed between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) and Electronic Vision Access Solutions (E.V.A.S.), blind and visually impaired veterans throughout the United States will receive specially equipped Dell computers. E.V.A.S. is a small business, specialising in computer access for people with disabilities.

IBM applies technology for disabled at aging baby boomers

With a program specifically addressing the needs of disabled people and several existing technologies - for overcoming speech, hearing, visual, tactile and cognitive impediments - IBM is positioned to offer baby boomers, tools they need to stay productive and connected as they age.

The latest in the series of assistive technology are the Home Page Reader, WebAdapt2Me, ViaScribe, and CaptionMeNow. These serve aging workers as well as people with disabilities.

Device guides blind students around Utah University campus

Students at Utah State University have created the “Way Finder", which combines four location technologies into one unit. A wireless network, Pedometer, Global Positioning System and Digital Compass together form a device that can help a visually impaired student find their way anywhere on campus. These four technologies have their limitations individually but with sensor fusion they work as a unit.