Yes, agreed, David. Thank you. Between worsening illness, now twenty
thousand-plus medical costs and hundreds per month, travelling to visit with
loved ones...just in case..., other obligations, and so forth, work on
finishing up the optacon III has not ceased, but almost for now. Even if
nothing more is done, we have a refined optacon II-like device for a
fraction of the cost but which uses up a lot of power. In order to succeed,
it has to be so much more than this (and use up less power which is being
worked on). I have (I know I'll get it from the wrathful listers) even
looked at building a braille and speech notetaker and other useful features
(graphing calculator etc) into the optacon III, since I have developed very
inexpensive, robust and very responsive refreshable braille technology here
at a tiny cost compared to what we now have, and it far exceeds the useful
and valiant work done by APH and Orbit. NO, before anyone squawks, added
features do NOT diminish in any way an optacon device and its simplicity of
use. Either use the extra features or turn them off and forget they exist.
They won't get in the way. At this point I am attempting with minimal
success (but not without) transfering the bench-top models to OrCAD and
Solid Works files for documentation purposes, which as I'm sure you know
David is a giant non-tactile headache for a blind person.
Charles
-----Original Message-----
From: David Moore
Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2016 4:15 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon works where OCR fails
Hi Charles,
It is so sad! When I tell teachers for the blind about how I used the
optacon to read all of my math and science texts in college, they tell me
that they have never heard of something like that. I go to the disability
office at Ohio State University, and I talk with them about how students
cannot access math. I tell them that I had total access with the Optacon.
People cannot believe that that kind of technology could ever exist, even in
the future. Just think, we had the optacon in the early 70s. Hard to believe
how quickly people forget the technology we have. Here today, gone tomorrow.
Take care, Charles, and I appreciate all that you are doing.
David Moore
-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Pond
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2016 5:06 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon works where OCR fails
You would not believe the number of rehabilitation teachers who have never
heard of the optacon, let alone any experience with an optacon. I was one
visiting with a rehab. teacher, and I asked her if sshe could have her
druthers what would she like to see invented. She replied immediately that
she would like there to be a device where a blind person could feel what a
camera sees as the blind person moves the camera. She sounded almost
dejected as she said this. So, when I told her about the long-since
discontinued optacon, she became almost animated (for her personality), and
she wondered why people had not heard of this "optacon", and why such a
device had been disconinued years before.
Charles
-----Original Message-----
From: DavidPlumlee (Redacted sender "knobman" for DMARC)
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2016 4:32 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon works where OCR fails
Hi, Anne,
My setup is similar to yours: I am a confirmed Optacon user; but I also
have a PC with OpenBook, and I have the KNFB Reader on my iPhone.
Considering the subject of your message, I am sure that when the Optacon
works where OCR doesn't, the two "components" that "make that happen" are
(a) the superior "decoder" and (b) the superior "motor-control system." We
know, of course, that both of those "components" reside in the human mind.
As long as the print is of sufficient size and good contrast, an experienced
Optacon user can interpret some symbols which no current OCR is programmed
to interpret (one could be programmed to do it, but much more information
would have to be stored on the program). As far as a "motor controller" is
concerned, a very experienced Optacon user can take that camera anywhere on
the page and go in any direction - any angle. All of that tracking is
controlled by feedback to the mind.
While I am a strong believer in the OCR technology and computer speech, I
believe with equal fervor that kids in school these days are really missing
something when they don't get any exposure to an Optacon and its usage.
Just think of all the control and coordination functions which could be
developed, practiced, and refined through the use of an Optacon!
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Anne Robertson
Sent: Saturday, 24 September, 2016 2:06 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon works where OCR fails
Hello,
I’m glad to say I read the tracking number correctly and now know that the
package is ready for delivery. Having left France on Tuesday, it is now in
California. My Mac is also a very important part of my arsenal of technical
tools.
Cheers,
Anne
On 24 Sep 2016, at 19:44, Marianne Näränen <marianne@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
hello,
Yes, and because OptaCon is so good, it was the greatest mistake to
stop manufacturing it. Besides all the OcR there is I feel that
optaCon was best we've had. Naturally, I'm talking about the old models.
Marianne
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