[NFBAZ-EastValleyChapter] F.Y.I. Lyric Assistive Reader

[Mark Feliz]

Lyriq Assistive Reader: Revolutionizing Reading for Blind People
National Federation of the Blind

Monday, December 18, 2023
By Kennedy Zimnik

In a world overflowing with technology, few innovations genuinely
stand out for their potential to change the way blind and low-vision
users live independently. The Lyriq Assistive Reader is one such
device, which will transform the way individuals with visual
impairments access and enjoy physical text. Let's cover the features
of the Lyriq device and discover how it seamlessly provides audio from
physical text.

Describing the Device
The Lyriq is about one foot by one foot when folded, and is meant to
be placed on a table or counter-top. When unfolded, there is an arm
with a camera that is about a foot above the bottom platform. The
front of the base platform has a volume slider, with a play button to
its left, and a pause button to its right. On the left side of the
base is the power button along with an AC power hook-up. The right
side of the base has two arrow buttons that increase and decrease
speech rate, as well as a USB slot (for transferring scanned text into
a file) and an HDMI slot (that doesn’t yet do anything). If you
purchase the remote, you can attach it to the folding arm via magnets.
the remote has buttons that perform all the functions of the Lyriq.

Enchanting with Text-to-Speech Technology: A Voice to Physical Text
The Lyriq Assistive Reader Device uses incredibly fast text-to-speech
technology. It converts printed text into speech, effectively breaking
down barriers for those with visual impairments or reading
difficulties. From beloved novels to essential educational materials,
the Lyriq device brings words to life, turning printed text into
accessible audio.

Operating the Device
The Lyriq is as easy to use as it is powerful with multiple ways of
using its functions. The device is compact and can fold up when not in
use. It is three pounds, and is easy to slip into a backpack or laptop
bag. It comes with a case and power supply/charger. You can purchase a
keypad that allows you to control the device remotely, which has the
same controls that are on the device itself. Once you connect the
power supply and unfold the camera, you are ready to start reading.

The Lyriq asks you to place your text on the base. Just seconds later,
the device automatically begins reading. The pause and play buttons on
the front stop and start the reading. There are also a volume control
slider and reading speed controls.

One very cool feature is the hand gesture control. The user can pause
and resume reading by waving their hand over the text from left to
right. Swiping right to left lets users find previous sentences. The
Lyriq is very responsive to these controls, and I found myself using
these hand gestures often in my testing with little error.

Remote Control
While the remote is optional and offers only the functions available
through the buttons on the base of the device, I would still recommend
purchasing it. It makes operating and navigating menu items much
easier. For example, some commands require you to press two buttons on
the base at the same time, where the remote allows the user to press
just one button for the same functions. The remote also allows the
user to not constantly sit directly in front of the device.

The Reading Experience
The Lyriq Assistive Reader Device is highly customizable. Readers can
make the experience their own by adjusting reading speed to match
preferred pace, choosing from a variety of voices, and controlling the
reading at one’s own pace. The remote allows the user to navigate by
words, sentences, and paragraphs. This level of customization ensures
that the Lyriq device adapts to individual preferences, creating a
comfortable and engaging reading experience for everyone. You can also
connect a Bluetooth speaker or headphones if the built-in speaker
isn’t enough, and there is also a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Saving Your Spot
Another cool Lyriq feature is that the user can save up to four pages
without the use of a USB stick. Usually, the text must stay on the
base, but by saving a page using the “Save” key and one of the four
directional keys, you can read through saved pages without them being
on the base. If you would like to save more than four pages, connect a
USB stick to the side and wait for an announcement. You can then save
as many pages as you want and reopen them on your computer. The Lyriq
will save the scanned pages into text (.txt) and MP3 files.

Multilingual Support
The Lyriq can read twenty different languages. With its multilingual
support, Lyriq caters to a global audience, allowing users to explore
literature and information in a multitude of languages. It does not
offer translation features. If the Spanish voice is equipped with an
English text, it will read English with a Spanish accent, and vice
versa. You can contact the vendor to upload other language options.

Stress-testing the Lyriq
I tested the Lyriq on curved texts (bottles, cans) as well as in
low-light conditions. The Lyriq performed fairly well on curved texts,
although keeping curved objects still while they are on their sides
can be tough. Most of the time, the Lyriq scans and reads the letters
that are visible to the camera—the letters facing up. In low-light,
because there is a light attached to the camera, it also did fairly
well. The device started having issues when it started reading not
well-lighted text on the edges of the page. Overall, the Lyriq
performed well in stress-tests by reading curved text and text in
low-light conditions (when the text was visible).

Concluding Thoughts and Pricing
The Lyriq costs 1,960 dollars without the keypad, and 2,195 dollars
with the keypad. These prices are very competitive to other Optical
Character Recognition (OCR) devices, and frankly, it is one of the
fastest OCR devices on the market. While it is expensive, you do get
speed unmatched to most similar technology. If you are blind or
low-vision, and an avid reader of physical text, I recommend
purchasing the Lyriq. It represents a leap forward in making the world
of literature, information, and education accessible to everyone. Its
features, ranging from quick text-to-speech technology and
multilingual support to the ability to export files revolutionize OCR
technology. With Lyriq as your guide, the pages of countless books,
articles, and documents are no longer out of reach for blind or low
vision users. So, whether you're an avid sci-fi reader, or studying
for your next exam, the Lyriq Assistive Reader Device can help. Happy
reading!

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access technology