[optacon-l] Re: The Optacon User List Activities
- From: "J. R. Westmoreland" <jr@xxxxxxx>
- To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 10:37:52 -0700
Last time I spoke with Ron at Freedom he indicated that they were still
interested in user manuals for the various models.
I have a copy of the serial interface document that I got from Mary, I
think, but it needs a bit of cleaning up.
I'm still digging in my archives of software to find the X-Windows interface
stuff that I wrote many years ago.
Though, I suspect that that software would be better rewritten.
I would be interested in knowing if there is still a way, or the specs so it
can be built, of getting a serial cable for the optacon II.
I think I still have mine but would be very sad if it were lost. I have
moved about half a dozen times since I last went looking for it. <grin>
J. R.
--------------------
J. R. Westmoreland
E-mail: jr@xxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of JBliss Judy
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 9:08 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: The Optacon User List Activities
Dear Catherine,
What a wonderful and thorough report, and such good work accomplished. I
have a question about Optacon repairs - is Leo Drell in S. California still
doing repairs (he may have retired)?
All tech stuff was transferred in the original tech transfer in the sale of
the blindness products, but I can check with Jim Bliss if he has anything
that might be of interest. I don't know who has the patent, but I suppose
that was transfered in the Telesensory blindness products sale. There are a
number of Optacon films that I've seen on the web about the development at
SRI by Jim and John Linvil, and I have a VHS of my introduction of the
Optacon II in the Czech republic. I didn't keep any software for the
training materials for the Optacon II - went with the tech transfer (Blazie,
originally, I think).
It has been wonderful hearing from folks on the Optacon user list. I
remember your training in Palo Alto, and doing some stuff together
after-hours. I may have some of the Optacon training manuals (print), but
it sounds like the group has that covered.
Go Optacon!
Thanks,
Judy Adams
----- Original Message ---------------
Subject: [optacon-l] The Optacon User List Activities
From: Catherine Thomas <braille@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 04:11:13 -0500 (EST)
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Hi, Everyone,
>Judy and the other new members of the Optacon User list might be pleased
>to know that the Optacon is still very much alive and well. Beginning in
>April of 2006 the Optacon User list launched its own Optacon preservation
>project. These are the things which we have accomplished so far. If I
>leave out anything I hope other members will fill in the gaps.
>
>We Optacon users launched a campaign to let everyone know that Optacons
>could still be repaired. There are authorized repairers in the U.S.,
>England, Canada, and Australia. We also asked for dead or non-working
>Optacons which we called corpses to be used for parts or, if possible to
>be repaired and returned to the hands of active users. As a result of our
>efforts quite a few people who thought they would never use Optacon again
>have been reunited with their machines or with new, actually
>re-conditioned machines, both Optacon r series and Optacon II's.
>
>Oehm Electronics in San Jose California, one of our authorized repairers,
>fabricated a new retina calbe which can be substituted for those cables
>badly broken or damaged.
>
>The Optacon Users prepared a survey which was revised to add a couple of
>extra questions. The object was to find out just what current Optacon
>users were doing with their Optacons. The five most common uses of the
>Optacon are: reading mail, signing checks and other legal correspondence,
>verification that labels and other printed material had lined up
>correctly, reading of private documents, and used in conjunction with a
>scanner to determine what and where to scan. There are other common uses
>but these recurred the most in the surveys. We have close to 200 surveys
>at this time. We are expecting more.
>
>We also wanted to isolate those uses of the Optacon that are uniques and
>have never been replicated by any other device. Among the unique uses that
>have been described in detail by list members or takers of our survey are:
>reading of print music; reading documents that are written in more than
>one language, reading the surfaces of appliances to find out which buttons
>do what; reading schematics and diagrams; using fat books such as phone
>books or dictionaries or large computer manuals; reading bottles, cans,
>jars, prescription information; Etc.
>
>Some of our members have placed articles in various braille magazines to
>let people know that Optacons can still be repaired and that we are also
>looking for them. Each time an article has appeared, we have gotten a
>burst of emails.
>
>Two of our list members have worked hard to supply as much of the original
>Optacon documentation as possible electronically. If anyone needs the
>manuals for any of the Optacon units or for the CRT lens they have only to
>ask. Also, on the Freedom Scientific web site, apparently the current
>owners of the TeleSensory rights, one of our list members arranged for the
>original training manual to be placed there as a .pdf file. We explain to
>anyone interested that this document is meant to be printed out before
>use.
>
>In addition to all of this, we are working to possibly re-develop the
>Optacon at a future time. There have been several efforts made in this
>direction but most of them have been glorified scanners. The object of any
>device developed by our users would be a device that retains the Optacon's
>biggest advantage which is the ability to see uninterpreted print in real
>time. Two examples for instance are the ability of the Optacon to know
>that information did in fact fit on a label and did not accidentally land
>partially on another label or, the ability of the Optacon to show what
>sort of margins a document has. This can be very handy if pages need to be
>photocopied.
>
>We have the talent right here on this list to design a new Optacon that
>might be able to read let's say the displays on CD and DVD players or the
>menus on cell phones or TV screens. We are in search of certain schematics
>and some source code which is among the missing. Those on our list who are
>engineers woule really love to have these things, particularly those
>relating to the software which turned the Optacon II into a screen-reader.
>
>Ww have accomplished these things without spending a dime. That in itself
>is praiseworthy. Eventually of course, to develop a new Optacon, even a
>prototype, we will need money. For now we continue to collect data which
>will support our search for funds when the time comes. One of the
>interesting issues whcih keeps coming up is the mention by people who are
>not Optacon users that they wish they had been.
>
>We do have several list members who are new Optacon users. Every so often
>they let us know how they are doing. Many on the list have been more than
>willing to partner with a new user to help get them started.
>
>If any list member wants to read some of the itneresting stories posted to
>this list over the years, visit the list archives. Perhaps someone can
>once again post the address of the archives. I never have it when I need
>it.
>
>In summary, the Optacon is alive and well. Currently, due to donated
>units, our repairers have enough Optacons for anybody who wants one.
>However, our search goes on for more broken units or stashes of parts. So,
>once again we urge all list members to dig trough those agency closets and
>storerooms and to speak to anyone you ever knew who used an Optacon or
>might have had a friend who did.
>
>Our list moderator can confirm this for sure but I believe that since we
>began our initiative in 2006 the Optacon list membership must have
>doubled.
>
>Optacon lenses and accessories have also been bought and sold on this
>list. If anyone has a CRT lens, typewriter lens, calculator lens, small
>print lens, etc. that they no longer use, someboedy else will be
>delighted.
>
>Lastly, we also have complied a few tip sheets to help Optacon users.
>These are composed of suggestions that users have made on how to perform
>certain tasks. We have a tip sheet on signing documents, and another on
>using the Optacon to help with scanning. We also have a wish list which
>mentions many of the fetaures that we might like in a new Optacon. If
>anyone would like any of these or a copy of the survey, please write to me
>privately.
>
>Speaking of surveys, we also tried to find out how people who don't use
>Optacons manage certain tasks. We didn't pursue this very far but the
>replies we got to the urvey we created were very enlightening.
>
>There is most definitely still a need for an Optacon. We have met with
>great success in our efferts to preserve it and, we hope with the aid of
>our group of engineers and instructors and trainers as well as our users
>to develop a device that will be very useful to the next generation.
>
>Please feel free to add anything I left out.
>
>Catherine
>
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
>-Catherine Thomas
>braille@xxxxxxxxx /
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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