[optacon-l] Re: The Optacon User List Activities
- From: JBliss Judy <judy@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 09:48:16 -0800
Dear J.R.,
I'll check with Rob Turner who I believe still has an Optacon II. I hired Rob
some years ago to work in Tech Support at Telesensory (he's now with Benetech,
back here in the Palo Alto area). I don't know the specs for the cable.
Judy Adams
----- Original Message ---------------
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: The Optacon User List Activities
From: "J. R. Westmoreland" <jr@xxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 10:37:52 -0700
To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>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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