[nfbcs] Optacon thoughts

[John J. Boyer]

This is just a historical note. I used the optacon to getthrough 
graduate school. I majored in computer science with a minor in 
electronics. I used the optacon to read many textbooks and papers. I 
could even use it to read electronic schematic circuit diagrams. One of 
my dreams is to devise software that can do that.

John

On Wed, Sep 14, 2016 at 07:51:58AM -0400, Tracy Carcione via nfbcs wrote:
> Hi Dave.
> I disagree.  I still have an Optacon, and there are things it does nothing
> else can do.  I can read print music with it, for one thing.  I have music
> scanning software, but, like all scanners, it makes mistakes, and I use the
> Optacon to fix them.  I have also recently used it to look at a diagram of
> some new doodad I bought, to figure out what buttons were where.  I've read
> the label on some buttons.  I've read a blood work report, where K1000 was
> not properly reading some highlighted material.  I've used it to look at my
> solar output report, which has a table with several columns.  The Optacon
> makes it easier for me to figure out which number goes with which header,
> quicker than I can with Jaws.  I read a round pill bottle, which usually
> doesn't work well with a scanner. And I used to use it to read Japanese
> print.
> It did take some effort to learn, but that effort has paid off many times
> over.  I hope my Optacon lasts a long time, and that someone re-develops it
> with more modern technology.  For me, nothing beats being able to interpret
> print directly, using what's still the most sophisticated software around,
> my brain.
> Tracy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews via
> nfbcs
> Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2016 11:01 PM
> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List
> Cc: David Andrews
> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Optacon thoughts
> 
> I had an Optacon, back in 70's, and used it some, but not a lot.  Sold it to
> buy my first computer.
> 
> My view, probably isn't popular, but iI will say, 1. the tactile array was
> expensive to make, and 2. if they were more widely used, and sold in greater
> numbers, we would still have them. But they weren't, they were amazing
> devices, but hard for most people to use well. There are still some
> dedicated users, and nostalgia makes us want them, but I say good bye, we
> have much better technology today.
> 
> Dave
> 
>   At 03:54 PM 9/13/2016, you wrote:
> >So I was helping a low-vision student this morning learn to use a 
> >desktop magnifier (VisioBook) to get her math homework done. I 
> >pulled out my old Optacon to insure I'd picked a representative page 
> >from the book and that I had it correctly oriented.
> >
> >I taught myself Optacon so I'm not that good at it. But it got me 
> >thinking: nobody's ever came out with a modern Optacon; something 
> >that turns a camera image in to a tactile display that the user will 
> >OCR with his own brain power. Or at least, I don't think such a gizmo
> exists.
> >
> >It's rather sad, really.
> >
> >--Debee
> 
> 
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-- 
John J. Boyer; President,
AbilitiesSoft, Inc.
Email: john.boyer at abilitiessoft.org
Website: http://www.abilitiessoft.org
Status: 501(C)(3) Nonprofit
Location: Madison, Wisconsin USA
Mission: To develop softwares and provide STEM services for people with 
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