By Shelly Brisbin & J.J. Meddaugh
The article we publish each year following the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference typically focuses on the most interesting new products for people with visual impairments that we see on the exhibit hall floor. We will do so again this year, too, but we are, as they say, living in unusual times. So, in addition to the customary product highlights, we want to share a few things about the experience of attending CSUN as COVID-19 was becoming a reality in the United States.
Getting There: Shelly's Story
For those of us who ventured to CSUN in early March, it was a venture, even the decision to make the trip was a cause for apprehension. A week before the conference was to open, response to the threat of the coronavirus had begun ramping up, with reductions to international flights and instructions in my workplace to clean work surfaces regularly with disinfectant wipes. CSUN organizers had initially been quiet, eventually issuing a statement in late February that the conference would go on as usual, but with social distancing practices encouraged, and hand sanitizing stations provided on-site. During that week, people and companies I expected to interact with in Anaheim announced they would not make the trip, including some of my fellow Blind Bargains correspondents, who typically spend the conference interviewing exhibitors and company representatives about their accessible technology.
I looked into canceling my flight, and expected to do so if CSUN canceled the conference. I wasn't sure until the day before I was to leave for California whether I was going or not. And because California had already announced more cases of COVID-19 than my home state of Texas had, I was concerned that if things got worse travel restrictions might keep me there longer than planned.
When I woke up at the Anaheim Hilton on March 11, COVID-19 had been declared a pandemic.
And yet, CSUN, with half its sessions canceled, most large sponsors absent from the ballrooms they'd reserved, and a huge percentage of exhibitors not present in the hall, was going on. The only information I, as an exhibit pass holder, received from the conference organizers was a post on their website. No one I interacted with at the event suggested I practice social distancing or indicated to me where I could sanitize my hands or that doing so was important. I located a hand sanitizer stand several hours into my first day at CSUN.
In the exhibit hall, a table full of fruit and salad makings sat in an open space that would have been occupied by exhibitors. No sneeze guards, sanitizer, or suggestions for consuming the food in a safe way were to be found. Nor were volunteers available to offer assistance, which would have been a somewhat safer option for a person with low-vision or blindness. I chose to avoid this buffet in the interest of my safety and that of my fellow attendees.
I returned safely from CSUN, having interviewed a number of exhibitors, and hearing their stories of how they were making the best of an event with less traffic in the exhibit hall, and fewer colleagues with whom to network.
I understand the difficulties faced by California State University-Northridge, which sponsors the event we know as CSUN.
Canceling such an important event has many financial, logistical, and human implications. My greatest wish is that the organizers, having chosen to go ahead, would have communicated more clearly and broadly what they were doing to enhance the safety of all who were attending, including those with visual impairments. That would have included tips on effective social distancing techniques, and a listing of hand sanitizer locations. And volunteers and conference staff should have interacted with all attendees, including those visiting the exhibit hall and sponsor areas, to remind them of the safety protocols that had been put in place.
Now, let's take a look at the most interesting products we saw in the exhibit hall. Once again, Blind Bargains and AFB partnered to provide audio coverage of the event, and links to our interviews are included below.
Orbit Research Increases Product Range
While the low attendance put a damper on the amount of new product announcements at the conference, Orbit Research was one company who seized the moment and arrived with several new items to show. First was the Orbit Reader 20 Plus, an update of the company's initial Braille display offering, was demoed with several new features, providing more functionality for only a small bump in price. The $699 Plus includes several new built-in apps including a calculator, alarm clock, and calendar. It also features on-board Braille translation with support for over 40 languages. Previously, it was not possible to translate between print and Braille without using a computer or another device. Now you could load a book or another file and read it in your preferred Braille format. The previous Orbit Reader 20 is still available for $599.
Those who would like a bit more braille real estate may appreciate the newly-announced Orbit Reader 40. It includes all of the features of the 20 Plus and adds cursor routing buttons. These buttons allow the user to move the cursor to a particular cell or letter by pressing a button above the cell, which makes it easier to edit documents on the display. The 40-cell unit also includes panning keys at each end of the display, USBC charging, and a headphone jack for potential future use. The refresh rate for the braille cells is similar to the 20, taking about a half-second to generate a new line of text. Look for the Orbit Reader 40 this summer for $1,399.
As if that wasn't enough to catch people's attention, a third product will make it easy for people to type in braille using a mobile device. The Orbit Writer is essentially a Bluetooth braille keyboard, and features a similar layout to the keys on the Orbit Reader 20. The Writer is barely one-quarter inch thick and could easily fit in a purse or mid-sized pocket. When connected to a phone or computer, you can type in braille using your screen reader of choice, or control your phone or computer using supported braille commands. Haptic feedback is also included, alerting you when the unit is turned on or off or conveying the current battery level. The Orbit Writer will also be available this summer for $99. You can learn a lot more about all of these devices and the return of the Graphiti Braille graphics tablet with J.J.'s interview with Orbit Research CEO Venkatesh Chari.
A Laptop and Braille All-in-One
The HIMS booth featured the company's own products, including the BrailleSense Polaris notetaker and QBraille XL 40-cell braille display. But perhaps the most unique item in their booth was a new entry from South Korean company Nattiq Technologies. While COVID-19 meant that none of the company's own staff was in Anaheim, the Nattiq Note laptop did make an appearance. The unit combines a traditional 40-cell display with a high-powered modern laptop, which can be customized to include all of the latest bells and whistles. The product page claims the ability to customize the machine to a variety of specifications, and lists a variety of available configurations ranging from a 16-cell unit with a mobile processor and 64GB of storage for $2,700 to a 40-cell machine with a robust Core I7 processor and 1TB of storage for $5,200. The usual array of modern ports, 802.11AC Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.2 were also included. I found the unit a bit thicker than I would have liked, but appreciate the use of modern hardware and ports, which will help lengthen the usefulness of the device. HIMS did not indicate if they would sell the computer in the United States, so perhaps this was a test run to gauge interest. Others have tried to combine a laptop and a braille display in the past, but these efforts often lack traction. Perhaps Nattiq will be the one to buck this trend.
Hey Google, Read my Library Books
Imagine being able to instruct your Google Home to play you the latest bestseller available from the National Library Service. If you live in Finland, this may soon be a reality thanks to Pratsam, a company offering a suite of reading apps for DAISY titles. In an audio demo, Pratsam Sales Manager Daniel Ainasoja showed how you can use your voice to read audiobooks, adjust the reading speed, or save bookmarks. It's being piloted at the Celia library in Finland and Pratsam hopes that other libraries will get on board.
The thinking is that cost-conscious libraries would be able to save money by not developing their own set of apps. The Pratsam Reader app also is available for iOS and Android devices.
Exploring a New Reality with Smith-Kettlewell
It's always interesting to catch up with creators outside of the exhibit hall to hear about exciting projects that are in the pipeline. Brandon Biggs, a researcher at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute is involved with several innovative projects that aim to create increased access to objects and indoor spaces. One such project is Audiom, a Web app that allows you to virtually explore a room or building using sound cues. If you've played just about any audio game that allows you to move around on a map, the design choices will be very familiar. Interface cues are borrowed from popular games, for instance, the wind sounds of Shades of Doom are used to indicate a hallway and the grid system found in A Hero's Call is used as a way to navigate your surroundings. Biggs based Audiom on audio games because many of these elements are familiar to a wide variety of users, and he hopes to transfer that knowledge to enable easier navigation of complex spaces. Listen to this extended interview to learn more about this and other forward-thinking ideas being researched at SKERI.
WeWalk Adds Technology to the Most Analog of Devices: The White Cane
WeWalk, made by a company of the same name, adds a smart app and audible guidance to a standard Ambutech white cane. The device fits atop the cane, and is outfitted with Bluetooth, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a microphone, and a speaker. When connected to an Android or iOS smartphone, the WeWalk can deliver navigation guidance from an app. It also detects obstacles at eye level.
When the WeWalk detects obstacles at head level, the device vibrates. You can adjust the range at which WeWalk will identify what it perceives as an obstacle.
Once connected to a smartphone, the WeWalk app uses the phone's screen reader to provide speech that can be heard on the cane's speaker as well. It can identify nearby points of interest, including businesses and bus stops. At a transit stop, the app provides timeline information. WeWalk uses data from Microsoft for navigation and transit information.
You can use a WeWalk cane to find your connected phone with the press of a button, and there's an LED light on the cane, which could be helpful for those with some vision, or to provide added safety as you travel at night.
The included cane is foldable. WeWalk says the device's battery will last 20 hours. WeWalk is available now for $500. Listen to Shelly's interview with WeWalk.
Google Glass becomes a Tool for People with Vision Loss
The initial release of Google Glass, a wearable computer from Google, met with quite a bit of derision, several years ago. Complaints ranged from the price tag and limited functionality, to how it made wearers look in places where people were unaccustomed to computer eyewear. But Google Glass is back, both as a product for people with typical vision, and for users with vision loss. Envision AI, which has been offering a smartphone app that does a variety of AI-based identification tasks, has now added its software to Google Glass spectacles, allowing a person with blindness to control Envision AI with touch gestures, and hear information provided by software in the glasses.
Google Glass consists of a lightweight pair of wire-framed glasses without lenses. On the right arm of the glasses is a flat surface on which you gesture to control the functions of Envision AI. A camera at the front of this assembly gathers information from your surroundings, and earpieces provide spoken feedback to the wearer.
Like the Envision AI app, the Glass-mounted version is organized into functional categories, including: describe scene, scan document, and read text. Choose one with a swipe of your finger on the side panel, and you'll hear the feature named. Then Envision AI will analyze what it sees through the camera, or take a photo, then do the analysis. Scanned text can be read aloud by the device, or saved for reading elsewhere.
Envision AI-enabled Google Glass can be paired with a smartphone, or operated independently.
The company is working to port the software to other devices, and to environments including the Aira system.
Envision AI-equipped Google Glasses are available now for 1,500 euros ($1628) from Envision AI. Delivery is expected this summer. You can hear a demo recorded at the conference by Shelly.
Zoommax Enters the VR Wearables Market
In 2019, Zoomax released the Acesight, a head-mounted magnification device for people with low vision. Now, the company has announced the Acesight VR, also a wearable, but this time based on a virtual-reality headset, rather than a pair of glasses with a camera mounted in one lens.
Zoomax says the Acesight VR is meant for part-time applications, like watching television or a movie, not constant use, and not while walking around. The company says that this, along with limiting its applications to magnification, rather than displaying smartphone-style apps inside the headset, differentiates the Acesight VR from similar products offered by other companies.
To interact with the Acesight, you use a tethered controller that allows you to adjust zoom level, change visual modes, or take a picture of what the camera sees.
According to Zoomax, advantages of the Acesight VR include its ability to compensate for low-light environments, and a bigger field of view than the previous Acesight model. The unit includes a 48-megapixel camera.
The Acesight VR headset includes a smartphone that acts as the device's computer. It's not accessible to the user as a phone, and can't be removed from the unit, as phones that operate other VR headsets can.
Learn more about Acesight VR at the Zoomax America Web site. or Shelly's podcast interview.. The cost is $2,495.
Optelec Releases a Large Portable Magnifier
Vispero, under the Optelec Electronics brand, offers a range of compact magnifiers, including the Compact 6, a unit with a 6-inch screen. Now, the company has released the Compact 10 HD Speech, a larger unit that's based on the Compact 6, with a 10-inch screen, and three cameras.
The Compact 10's screen sits at a 45-degree angle and can display text placed under its camera. It has a touch screen, so you can pinch in and out, or use a finger to pan around the image onscreen. The unit includes OCR and speech, and, integrated into the unit on an arm, another camera that can be used for distance viewing. Like most compact magnifiers, the Compact 10 provides a wide array of color themes, and you can even apply one to the onscreen menu.
The Compact 10 HD Speech is $1,595. A version without speech costs $1,295. Yes, there's a podcast for this one as well, and you can go here to hear Shelly's interview with Vispero.
What Can Be Learned from CSUN?
The 35th edition of CSUN was unlike any other, due in large part to a pandemic event beyond the control of anyone involved. That being said, there are some takeaways that could be applied to CSUN or other conferences in the future.
There were a lot of moving parts and last-minute changes that occurred before and during the event. Roughly half of the sessions were canceled while others were moved to a different room. While these were announced on a disorganized webpage, there were also several exhibitors who moved their booths to more desirable locations after others canceled. Unfortunately, there an updated list of exhibitors was not available, sometimes making it difficult to locate a company that moved mid-show. The ATIA conference in Orlando has a companion app that attendees can use for exactly this purpose, and it seems to work well.
Speaking of last-minute changes, the importance of active social media cannot be understated. Ideally, someone should monitor the official conference Twitter and other feeds to field questions and help maintain a level of sanity. The official CSUN Twitter feed was mostly limited to scheduled tweets, and a couple of acknowledgements about the COVID-19 situation. A decision to end Friday's events at noon was not announced until late Thursday evening. While information on the coronavirus was circulated on the conference website, some people felt that important details were left out. In the post, there was an official mention of hand-sanitizer stations throughout the conference. But it would have been much more helpful to note the locations of these stations so everyone could easily locate them. Due to the dynamic nature of large events and the need to disseminate information to everyone as quickly as possible, an improved social media presence and greater access to information would greatly benefit this and other events.
The two of us recorded roughly 15 interviews from the exhibit hall floor and beyond. We've linked to several of these above, but you can go to the Blind Bargains audio page for much more.
It remains to be seen if COVID-19 will further affect the assistive technology industry or delay the shipment of new products. Companies will need to be agile and flexible by holding remote sales meetings and answering technical support calls from their couch. But with a bit of luck and effort, the stream of new products and innovations will not be dampened. As the volume of new technology heats up, stay with AccessWorld for reviews on new products as they are released.
This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.
Related articles:
- Access Technology on the Move: CSUN 2019 Presents an Array of New Options for People Who Are Blind by J.J. Meddaugh, Shelly Brisbin
- ATIA 2020 Wrap-Up: What's New and Noteworthy at the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference by Aaron Preece
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