Kurzweil-NFB Reader - A Portable Scanner Reader

2006-07-26
by red

To make life easier for people with visual impairments, Ray Kurzweil in associate with National Federation of the Blind (NFB) has invented a portable scanner reader named after them, the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader. The Kurzweil-NFB Reader is a hybrid device that combines a digital camera with a Braille-aware PDA to create a hand-held gadget that lets its user snaps a picture of printed material, scans the text and reads it in clear synthetic speech few seconds later.

The K-NFB Reader can read most printed materials at the click of a button, including letters, bills, receipts, ATM slips, restaurant menus, airline tickets, business cards, office memos, and a lot more. Users have the options to save captured pictures for future playback or delete them immediately. It can store thousands of printed pages with extra memory and users can transfer files to their desktops and laptop computers or Braille notetakers. The device also has a headphone jack so users don’t have to disturb others in close proximity, or be disturbed by noises around.

The K-NFB Reader can be obtained from authorized resellers around the globe at the price of around US$3500. For more information, please visit knfbreader.com

News Source: Rachelle Lacroix of NFB

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    1. Fragrance says:
      2006-08-11 07:23

      Well, everything is good. But how does blindman can snapshot the letter if he even doesn’t know where is it?


    1. red says:
      2006-08-13 08:28

      Hi Fragrance, this is Rachelle’s answer to your question: The device includes an automated voice that lets users know when text is in focus and within the camera’s range. Though it may take a few snapshots to fully capture the text, the K-NFB Reader truly revolutionizes the way the blind live day to day.


    1. Alice says:
      2006-09-10 05:05

      This is a great piece of technology but $3495 is damn near extortion. It’s a beefed up PDA for gods sake. Nice to see for sure but I can’t believe they are trying to milk the poor handicapped for that much. Lower the price and make it avaialble for the masses. Changing the blind’s lives should be satisfaction enough. Monetary windfall shouldn’t be necessary for this great invention.


    1. Fund.er says:
      2006-09-10 21:56

      As I understood this scanner can also sound all what it has scanned. Or I’m mistaking?