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from the Kentucky Office for the Blind's Research & Development Branch
This page is an ongoing accumulation of unique engineering applications of technology designed and built by Wayne Thompson at the Research and Development Branch of the Kentucky Office for the Blind. By unique, we mean the design and/or implementation of a device or method that provides access in a way that is unusual or not possible with commercially available off-the-shelf products. Not found in this listing are common applications of technology such as adding speech or screen enlargement to a personal computer, ordinary installation of commercially available scanners, braille printers, refreshable braille displays, CCTV systems, magnifiers, software, etc.
The items on this page represent solutions that we have invented or designed. We are listing only those applications believed to be unique and of potential interest to others. We share them in an effort to help others avoid "re-inventing the wheel", and, to hopefully inspire new ideas. This listing spans the entire history of the Kentucky Department for the Blind's Research and Development Group. Although some earlier items may be outdated or made obsolete by subsequent commercial versions, information about our original project is usually still available.
The following list contains only a brief description of each item. The list is roughly chronological, newest items first. Contact the Kentucky Office for the Blind, 800-321-6668, for more detailed technical information about any of these projects.
The links below contain additional information available for some of our projects. Project
Technical Files are available for free download.
Don't miss reading the "Braille Shaker" product review.
• LED access of Zoom MRT-3 Micro Rhythm Trak Drum Machine (10/2004) - LED Interface with custom firmware and Walk 'n Talk Speech Synthesizer to access the machine's 4-character LED display.
• LCD access of Rolm Model RP624SL Telephone
(11/98) - LCD Interface with custom firmware and Walk 'n Talk Speech Synthesizer
to access the telephone's 2-line by 24-character LCD.
• LCD access of Executone Model N/D29K/D 82600 Telephone (8/98)
- LCD Interface with custom firmware and Walk 'n Talk Speech Synthesizer to
access the telephone's 4-line by 16-character LCD.
• Police Department Dispatch Center modifications (12/97) - Various
modifications. See 911 Emergency Dispatch Center description below.
• VA Hospital Communications Center modifications (11/97) - Various modifications performed to allow access to telephone system, alarm panels, and hospital computer information system.
• Library job modified (10/97) - Adaptations for wheelchair bound library worker with restricted arm motion included Power Belt Conveyor for book delivery system; barcode scanner to log returned books; and large key keyboard encoder for computer input.
• LCD access of Hitachi DT-5054A Telephone (10/97) - LCD Interface with custom firmware and IEE Vacuum Fluorescent Display to enlarge the telephone's 2-line by 40-character LCD in a hotel reservation department.
• Headset switching circuit (6/97) - Switching circuit for a Plantronics headset to route a customer service rep's microphone output to either the telephone caller, or, speech recognition system on the worker's computer.
• LCD access of AT&T Model 7406 Telephone (8/97) - LCD Interface with custom firmware and Walk 'n Talk Speech Synthesizer to access the telephone's 2-line by 24-character LCD.
• LCD access of Tadiran Model EKT-321 Telephone (3/97) - LCD Interface with custom firmware and IEE Large Character Display to access the telephone's 2-line by 16-character LCD.
• LCD access of NEC Model ETE-16D-2 Telephone (2/97) - LCD Interface with custom firmware and IEE Large Character Display to access the telephone's 2-line by 16-character LCD.
• Hold Detect on Northern Telecom Model M5209 Telephone (7/96) - Designed custom device to display hold status of each of six lines using bright red lights driven by six Dees DSI-375 Meridian Custom Ringer Units.
• "Kentucky Light Probe" (9/95) - Recently redesigned, this light probe is extremely small (2.6" x 0.9" x 0.9" including 2 AAA batteries) and very responsive with dark-to-light range translated into the entire audio spectrum. Very directional; ideal for telephone lamp detection. Single pushbutton operation, easy to build, and low parts cost (about $5). PC boards are available ($1). Reference the article, "Light Probe for the Blind", in the March 1996 issue of Circuit Cellar Ink.
• LCD access of Brother P-Touch Model PT-20/25 Label Making Printer (3/95) - LCD Interface with custom firmware for speech output of the 1-line by 15 character LCD.
• LCD access of Yamaha DKC100R Diskclavier Player Piano - LCD Interface with custom firmware for speech output of the 2-line by 24character LCD.
• LCD access of Yamaha DKW10 Diskclavier Player Piano (6/94) - LCD Interface with custom firmware for speech output of the 2-line by 16 character LCD.
• "Video Mouse" for graphics tablet (5/94) - Mounted a miniature color camera module on a graphics tablet mouse and connected it to a large color monitor. This enabled a visually impaired worker to digitize maps at the US Geological Survey Office by simultaneously viewing an enlarged map segment and mouse cross-hairs on the monitor while tracing streams, boundries, etc.
• LCD access of Northern Telecom Model M7324 Telephone (7/94) - LCD Interface with custom firmware. Both IEE Large Character Display and speech access solutions exist for the 2-line by 16-character LCD.
• LCD access of Kawaii K4 Music Synthesizer Keyboard (6/94) - LCD Interface with custom firmware for speech output of the 2-line by 16 character LCD.
• 911 Emergency Dispatch Center Adaptation - Various unique problems have been solved at Emergency Dispatch Centers over the years including 911 screen access using speech and/or braille; access of NCIC (National Crime and Information Center) system input and output; dispatch logging; alarm panel detection; telephone adaptations; TDD access; etc.
• "BarTalk" Talking Bar Code System (1/94) - BarTalk is a pc based program that accepts input from a bar code scanner and then causes speaking of the corresponding description found in its data base.
• Audible Light Indicator (11/93) - By attaching a small sensor directly over an indicator light on a telephone or other equipment, this circuit will emit a tone whenever the light turns on. It has an adjustable sensitivity.
• LCD access of Furuno GP-50 Global Positioning System Marine Navigational Device (7/93) - LCD Interface with custom firmware for speech output of the LCD.
• Braille Digital Clock/Calendar (11/92) - Originally designed for radio disc jockeys wanting to avoid "talking" clocks in a live studio, this clock/calendar features a 6-cell, 8-dot braille display and various pushbuttons for setting and display of information. Reference the article, "Feeling Out a Braille Digital Clock" in the October, 1994 issue of The Computer Applications Journal.
• "Walk 'n Talk" Speech Synthesizer (1990-93) - Originally designed to access Crane/National vending machines, this unit has become a popular, low cost, general purpose, ASCII text-to-speech synthesizer. (We've built over 130 units for our own clients.) It's a portable unit with serial and parallel ports, internal speaker, headphone jack, thumbwheel on/off volume control, and built-in rechargeable battery pack. It's housed in a 12 ounce, 5.6" x 3.2" x 1.4" ABS plastic enclosure.
• LCD access of Yamaha QY10 Music Sequencer (7/92) - LCD Interface with custom firmware for speech output of the 1-line by 16 character LCD.
• LCD access of Yamaha MDF2 MIDI Data Filer (7/92) - LCD Interface with custom firmware for speech output of the 1-line by 16 character LCD.
• Audio Peak Level Indicator (1/92) - Accurately detects a peak level corresponding to an audioVU recording meter in a radio station or recording studio. The device can be calibrated to match any audio level (usually 0db) and provides a beep and lighted LED when the preset level is reached.
• Audio Tone Indexer (12/91) - Originally designed for our own Volunteer Recording Program, this is a low cost ($50 parts cost), easy to build tone indexer for marking page and chapter boundries when recording books. By pressing either of two pushbuttons, the user can place a single or double tone on the tape while recording that will only be audible during fast-forward or rewind. It's small (4" x 2" x 1") and can be battery powered.
• Deaf/Blind Communications Software (8/91) - This program for IBM pc compatibles was written to allow easy communications between a blind vending stand operator and deaf customers by using a shared keyboard, screen, and speech synthesizer.
• Tactile Map (9/90) - Originally created for an emergency center radio dispatch worker, this city map was drawn by grid sections onto 121 braille sheets using HiMark, then cataloged and filed by grid number for ready access. Each page includes brailled street names and prominent buildings. Pages can be laid together to form a complete and continuous (and large!) map.
• "Pixelmaster" Solid Ink Braille Printer (7/89) - This project died because Howtek quit making the Pixelmaster printer, however the "solid ink" printing technology still exists and we believe has great potential for producing braille and raised line drawings. The ink deposited by this thermal ink jet method is tactile. We developed various braille fonts and printed many text and line drawing samples. For a short time, Howtek even marketed a version called the "Braillemaster". Drawbacks were high cost and slow printing. Someone needs to resurrect this technology into a cool printer for the blind! For more information, contact the Kentucky Dept. for the Blind, 800-321-6668.
• Radio Station Transmitter Meter Access (5/89) - To meet FCC requirements of logging various meter readings each hour, a talking voltmeter is connected to the actual transmitter meters to make measurements. Then a talking calculator is used to convert the voltage measurements into the correct units such as frequency, plate current, or plate voltage.
• "TweedleDump" Audible Data Flow Indicator (7/86) - This device plugs in line with an RS232 serial connection as gives audible chirping sounds when data is flowing without affecting data flow itself.
• Tactile Event Counter (4/85) - A counting device for deaf/blind individuals for packing or sorting operations. Each keypress increments a counter which raises a tactile indicator when the preset value dialed into the thumbwheel switches is reached.
• Audible Tolerance Modification for Ohaus B3000DP Scale (3/83) - This adaptation causes various tones to sound to indicate if the weight is over, under, or within a tolerance preset with thumbwheel switches by the user. Designed for parts counting (by weight) position.
• Kentucky PortaBraille & PocketBraille (1983-86) - A personal, portable note-taking device with 20-cell braille display, 7-key braille keyboard, and speech (the PocketBraille had no braille display). It's now obsolete although about 50 PortaBrailles were sold commercially by Southland Manufacturing Company. The American Printing House for the Blind manufactured the PocketBraille for a while. Over 300 construction manuals were sent out worldwide. If you have one and need technical information, contact the Kentucky Ofice for the Blind, 800-321-6668.
• Kentucky Modified Perkins Brailler (1981-83) - A personal braille printer created by automating the ubiquitous Perkins Brailler. While now obsolete, this was the first personal braille printer available. It's direct commercial successor, the Cranmer Modified Perkins Brailler by Maryland Computer Services (now Blazie Engineering), sold over 1000 units. The Louisville Telephone Pioneers Group also built about 30 units. Several hundred construction manuals were sent out worldwide, so additional units may have been built around the world. If you have one and need technical information on the original project, contact the Kentucky Office for the Blind, 800-321-6668.
Kentucky
Office for the Blind
P.O. Box 757 209 St. Clair Street Frankfort,
Kentucky 40602-0757 USA
Phone (Toll Free): 800-321-6668 or 877-592-5463
Phone: 502-564-4754
Fax: 502-564-2951
TDD: 502-564-2929
Website Administrator -- blind@ky.gov
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This page was last updated on April 3, 2006