Hello Optacon Users:
I believe Charles Pond has passed away. I don't know where anyone can
get theinformation on his research.
If this person is interested in helping developing a 21st Centry
Optacon, I suggest that the person talk story with Richard Oehm.
Remember, he is getting old and we don't know how much longer he will
be around with the knowledge about the inside of an Optacon. Richard
Oehm at one time worked for Telesensory Systems, Inc. when the Optacon
was first developed with Jim Bliss and help from Stanford University
Enginering students.
,
Original message:
Caterina,
Sounds interesting if anyone wants to consider the development of a new
Optacon. Yes, Charles Pond used to tell us inthusiastically about his
project. From what he described near the end of his time, was that the
Optacon would be rather close to completion. Yet, far as I got him, it
seemed noone ever saw the actual prototype he was working on. At least
I can't remember anyone telling that they had experienced the model, hands on.
In one of the last messages we saw from Charles, he informed us that he
had told someone in his circle, what to do about the whole project. But
he never seemed to tell anything further what that all would include.
Noone ever have followed up on the project, if we are to judge from the
trafic on this list.
Summing it all up, what we are left with from Charles' project, seems
to be the messages he left on the list. There would be a few of them,
and they tended to be rather technical every now and then. He said that
it would all be there, his whole description of the project. But you
will need to read through an untold amount of listings, and derive the
technical essense of it. At the end of each message posted on the list,
you will find the link to the list archives. I suggest you scrolling
the archives, searching for his name, and see what you can get out of that.
Then again, we had a few discussions, as to what a new Optacon
desirably should be like. These too would be in the archives. If you
don't mind me saying so, I just am not all that sure the requirements
we had for an updated Optacon, a handful years ago, would still apply.
Have a feeling that even the most intense Optacon user, might see his
or her daily activities slightly different today. That is, electronic
devices have become more frequent, and more services are moving out of
the paper-world, and into the electronics. At least in some parts of
the world. The potential new user of an Optacon, will come from such
already existing devices, and may not want an Optacon that basically
does what they already can get from their cell phone, tablet or
computer. Things like audio and recording capabilities, just to mention
a few. Who knows, maybe the very best project, would be to re-invent
the Optacon as it is, a completely analog device, that leaves all the
thinking to the human brain.
Charles along with a couple of other knowledgeable people, gave us
quite a number of informations as to the history of the Optacon's
development, from the early ages, and how and why it ended up the
design it stands currently. The list archives will also hold info about
what challenges were overcome when attempting to design a new model.
From memory, Charles told how he had been struggling to find a way to
protect the reading display from dust and dirt; testing different
materials that would provide the right tactile feeling, as well as the
needed flexibility and durability. He further informed about the
camera, again from memory, I think he said the model he had landed on
was the size and shape of a 4-knobbed lego brick.
As stated, the postings used to get rather technical, and not always
totally logical in their layout. And specially so, if the ones you have
in mind for a new project, would happen not to be natively
English-speaking. Guess the best thing would be to read through the
postings, and have the main-points arranged in a sorted order, leaving
out all the messy blah-blah. Smiles.
So my final suggestion would be, to leave the people you have in mind
the chance of browsing the list archives. Then let them join the list,
asking their questions to the community. Whoever is still on the list,
might have a portion of ideas and feedback, once we know what they need
for info. Hard to give too much, long as we do not know what technical
level they are on, or how serious they are about getting the development
going.
I do wonder if one of the places Charles stranded, just as much as a
few others who have tried to get on with a new Optacon model - was that
they tend to want to do everything themselves. Projecting, developing,
testing, financing, marketing and manufacturing. Have a hard time in
imagining that to be ever possible. You, or rather they, will need a
team for all of that. Charles said he had a couple of people assisting
him, hand-crafting certain of the parts. But he stranded when came to
legal stuff, as well as the programming part of the project. Just to
illustrate why it might be a good idea to let them know, that they
might want to set up a staff on an early state, should it ever have a
chance to become reality - that new Optacon model.
David
On 3/12/2020 8:54 PM, Caterina Avoledo (Redacted sender catery81 for
DMARC) wrote:
Hello everyone,
I met someone that, maybe,, could be interested to consider to develop
a device like our beloved Optacon.
I remember that Charles Pound wanted to share his project, isn’t it?
If so, where can I find information about it? I’m sure that the
intention is to realize something usefull for visually impeared people
and not for personal profit.
Thanks to everybody can give any information.
Greetings,
Caterina
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