Kanpur: To enable visually impaired persons to read as they write and also write from left to right, two students of IIT-Kanpur have designed a device that could perform the functions of both the Braille slate and the Taylors board. The price of the device has been kept below Rs 200 so that it is well within the reach of the user.



The prototype of the new device named as 'Anubhav' is ready and has already been tested with the students of Kanpur Aandh Vidyalaya situated in Nehru Nagar and the results have been amazing. A patent for the device has been filed by the students.
Sachin NP who passed out from IIT-Kanpur last month and Vimal C who is currently the final year student of Master of Design Programme (at IITK) have together worked on the device. Explaining about the design and the working of the product 'Anubhav', Sachin NP said this device comes with the concept of cells with raised dots on the slate and a stencil that slides down vertically from one row to the other. Consequently the raised dots are embossed on to the paper with the help of a hollow tube stylus.



"The base plate with depression dots in Braille is replaced with a base plate with raised dots in this new device. And the pin type stylus is replaced with a tube type stylus. The paper is sandwiched between the base plate and the top plate. The user has to keep the stencil on the line on which he has to write. He then has to use the tube stylus to write with the help of stencil as a guide. After completing one line, user can just simply flip it to the next line and continue writing. If they want to read what they have been writing, they can easily remove the stencil and read it", said Sachin.

Vimal C, the other student said that to shift from one row to the other, the user just needs to flip the stencil so as to switch over to the respective row. Since the stencil follows a single row design, the user can manoeuvre to any row or column at an instance by flipping the stencil, eventually helping out the user to read and write simultaneously.
He said this system enables the user to read as they write and also performing mathematical calculations in a very easy manner. "This is a game changing experience as it enhances the self-confidence of the visually impaired," the duo said.

Sachin said that in Braille slate, writing and reading are done on the either sides of the paper and because of this the person has to write in a mirrored manner from right to left to read it properly. This is no more required now. Also in Braille slate one cannot read what they have written without removing the paper completely. This makes braille slate incapable to use for doing mathematical calculations.