IIT Delhi's Assistive Innovations Bring New Light to the Visually Impaired

Science for Society: IIT Delhi's innovative Tech develop Smart Canes to Braille e-Readers for the Blind

In a significant stride towards enhancing the quality of life for visually impaired individuals, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Center for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAHT) at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi) have partnered to launch a line of cutting-edge assistive technology devices. The launch, which was chaired by IIT Delhi Director Rangan Banerjee and ICMR Director General Rajiv Bahl, was a major turning point in the creation of accessible technology solutions that are designed to empower visually impaired individuals by holding their hand in advanced techniques and making them independent in this fast digital world.

The launch event was held at IIT Delhi’s prestigious campus where these innovative assistive technology devices have been released by the National Center for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAHT). Shapescapes, an accessible STEM teaching kit, premium white canes, and a geometry instruction kit are a few of these. Furthermore, NCAHT has declared the start of extensive user testing for the SmartCane Version 2 and a braille display. These inventions, developed in partnership with Saksham Trust, New Delhi, are intended to greatly enhance the prospects for independent mobility and education for visually impaired people.

The projects presented at the launch event included:

Shapecases:

Shapescapes is a cutting-edge geometry learning kit created to meet the difficulties that visually impaired pupils encounter when learning geometry. This NCAHT-developed DIY kit can be used by sighted, low-vision, and blind people due to its low cost and adherence to universal design principles.

Easy-to-Use STEM Instruction Kit:

The newly developed STEM instruction kit empowers visually impaired students with a deeper understanding of electronic concepts, such as logic gates, components, and circuits, featuring inclusive models with authentic components and embossed symbolic representations, the kit facilitates hands-on learning and comprehension of fundamental principles for STEM education. 

Each kit also includes a self-learning book featuring tactile pictures, large fonts, and Braille explanations to further support learning. Manufactured in collaboration with Raised Lines Foundation, a non-profit organization affiliated with IIT Delhi, both the kit and book aim to enhance educational accessibility and learning outcomes for visually impaired students.

Superior Smart Canes:

For individuals who are blind or visually impaired, the white cane is an essential tool that promotes safe and independent mobility, listed in the National List of Essential Assistive Products (NLEAP). Responding to a longstanding demand, Kenstel Communications Private Ltd. collaborated with IIT Delhi to develop an advanced smart cane that meets international standards and addresses significant challenges associated with domestically produced canes.

SmartCane Version 2

IIT Delhi, in collaboration with Phoenix Medical Systems, Chennai, and Saksham Trust, and supported by the Wellcome Trust, introduced SmartCane—an electronic travel aid currently benefiting approximately 150,000 users in India and worldwide. SmartCane Version 2 represents an enhanced iteration of the original product, offering improved usability and user experience while addressing additional user challenges and technological advancements. 

Recognized in the National List of Essential Assistive Products (NLEAP), this product has undergone rigorous design-build-test-modify cycles and is currently undergoing large-scale user validation trials.

Easily updated braille display:

The assistech lab at IIT Delhi has developed a novel refreshable Braille technology called Tacread in collaboration with Phoenix Medical Systems and Saksham Trust. Users who are blind or visually challenged can read digital text in Braille thanks to this technology. For example, Sugmya Pustakalaya, the largest collection of accessible books in India, provides visually impaired people with access to any book in Braille format. Now, extensive user validation studies are being conducted for the current low-cost Braille reader model.

The development of these assistive technology products will light up the lives of 4.95 million blind persons and 70 million vision-impaired persons in India out of which 0.24 million are blind children. NCHAT plans for testing and incorporates the feedback from users to mass produce these useful devices.

Editor’s Note:

The NCAHT at IIT Delhi has launched these assistive technology items, which is a major step forward in the direction of inclusivity and empowerment for the visually impaired. Through the use of innovation, NCAHT is transforming the lives of those who most need it and promoting a society in which everyone has the chance to prosper. IIT Delhi again showed its unbeatable mark in the technology field by launching these products for social causes. Skoobuzz is grateful to IIT Delhi and NCAHT for the advanced devices that make visually impaired persons independent.