Tidbit from Johnye

John Christie - New Device Opens the World to the Visually Impaired For the past few weeks, the Carroll Centre for the Blind has been testing a new technology in their summer enrichment Program. With this new technology, visually impaired people will be able to recognize faces, identify colors and navigate their surroundings using wireless technology. This device is known as the Visus Visual Assist System manufactured by Visus Technology, Inc. This device is a hands-free assistive aide that can make your smart phone smarter. This device will help the visually impaired be more integrated into the classroom and society. On the day of the student's graduation, the students not only demonstrated the music function of the device but also demonstrated the color recognition program by coordinating their wardrobe. In addition, the students also found the object recognition part of the program helpful. With this part of the program they could identify the ketchup from the mustard. The students were having a great time with the device as they were holding their phone's camera up to their T-shirt to identify the color. Dr. McCormac said that this device could change the lives of the visually impaired. He also said that the word Visus means the power of sight. That's what we are giving to the visually impaired. The students tried the device on the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphones, provided by Samsung, using the Verizon 4G LTE network. Being familiar with smartphones, they found the Visus platform to be easy to get used to. Brian Charlson, Director of Technology, said that even though the device doesn't restore vision, it can help the visually impaired with color identification, facial recognition and the reading of print all around us. He also stated that to do all this and much more in a single solution is truly unique. While the students were the first to try out this device, it would have wide appeal with the newly blind and the elder blind. According to the president of the Carroll Centre, Joseph F. Abely, more than 60 percent of the blind population is over 60. He believes that they would love to have this technology in their hands. This device will surely open the world to the Visually Impaired because the device can do so much. It is truly amazing and exciting what technology can do. We can only wonder what the future will bring..