Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 14 September 2018

Talking gloves, tactile windows: new tech helps the disabled

By DANICA KIRKA prove products sold more
Associated Press widely, said Hector Minto,
LONDON (AP) — Hadeel who has the unusual title of
Ayoub slips a black glove "accessibility evangelist" at
onto her hand before be- Microsoft.
ginning the swish of sign For example, Microsoft last
language that is meaning- year launched its free See-
less to the untrained ob- ing AI app, which turns a
server. Then she pushes a smart phone into a "talk-
button on her wrist, and a ing camera" that helps vi-
small speaker relays the sually impaired people do
message drawn in the air: things like scan and read
"Let's Dance!" aloud text, recognize faces
"My dream is to give a voice and identify products bar
to those who can't speak," codes. Similar technology
says the 36-year-old inven- goes into the company's
tor who is developing her text Translator service,
BrightSign glove while work- which costs businesses $10
ing toward a Ph.D. in assis- to $45,000 a month, de-
tive technology at Gold- pending on the number of
smiths, University of London. transactions.
Ayoub's glove is just one ex- Paul Bepey uses a phone app created by Microsoft to audibly describe a drink in a can during an "Absolutely I think there's a
ample of a bigger trend as interview with The Associated Press at Microsoft offices in London, Friday, July 27, 2018. unique business case on its
entrepreneurs, startups and Associated Press own, but definitely there's a
companies like Microsoft much larger business case
and Google try to harness there ... who are looking dollars" each, compared as the world's population for Microsoft in that the
the power of artificial intel- to move beyond maybe a with $2,000 or more for ex- ages, increasing the num- tools of the future quite of-
ligence to make life easier dating app or a social net- isting technology. ber of people with physical, ten will come through a dis-
for people with disabilities. working app and are look- "My dream for BrightSign cognitive, vision and hear- ability lens," he said.
The initiatives come as the ing to do something that is to be the extension of ing problems, according It's important to remember
World Health Organization really helps the disadvan- the senses for the people to a WHO report published that all of us have impair-
estimates that the number taged." ... who want to voice their this year. The challenge is ments at times, says Robin
of people needing assis- While Ayoub hopes her ef- feelings and opinions with- to develop new technolo- Christopherson, head of
tive devices ranging from forts pay off financially, out having to always look gies while also increasing digital inclusion at the Brit-
wheelchairs to commu- she says she is driven by a for someone to help them the availability of simple ish charity AbilityNet, which
nication technologies will desire to create a world out — to give them the devices like spectacles helps older people and the
double to 2 billion by 2050. where disabilities become independence that they and wheelchairs that many disabled use computers.
Improvements in artificial meaningless. She is trying need and control over their people can't afford. He explains it like this: a per-
intelligence, combined to raise 1 million pounds to own communication," she Companies are starting son with perfect sight might
with the decreasing cost bring BrightSign to the mar- said. to recognize the financial have a visual impairment
of hardware, are mak- ket, estimating her gloves The need for such products potential of the market, as when trying to read a smart
ing it possible for inventors will cost "a few hundred is only going to increase these innovations can im- phone in bright sunlight, or
to develop new products a person with perfect hear-
without the need for the ing can struggle to under-
deep pockets of govern- stand a phone call when
ments or corporations. With on the street outside. As
the help of 3D printers and a result, technology that
the increased processing helps people with perma-
power of home computers, nent vision or hearing prob-
they are creating devices lems also makes products
designed for people with better for everyone. In the
motor, vision, hearing and past five years, AbilityNet's
cognitive impairments. team of experts who test
Microsoft and Google are products to ensure they
trying to spur work in this work well for the disabled
area, offering a total of $45 has grown from six people
million in grants to devel- to 22.
opers of assistive technolo- Innovation has not yet
gies. Microsoft says it hopes produced products good
to identify promising proj- enough to offer complete
ects that can eventually be freedom for the impaired,
incorporated into widely said Tom Kamber, ex-
available services. ecutive director of Brook-
"We're certainly seeing an lyn-based Older Adults
explosion of new technolo- Technology Services, a
gy that is looking to support non-profit that helps the el-
people with disabilities," derly use technology. But
said Zvika Krieger, head there is reason for optimism
of technology policy and Hector Minto, a Senior Technology accessibility evangelist at Microsoft, demonstrates an app that because investors are ac-
partnerships at the World can audibly describe a handwritten note during an interview with The Associated Press, at Micro- tively looking for the next
Economic Forum. "There soft offices in London, Friday, July 27, 2018. Associated Press big thing in technology, he
are a lot of innovators out said.q