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  • 3D-Printed Device Reads Text To The Blind

    07.08.2014 | News | |

    Here’s your feel good story of the day.

    Using a 3D-printer, scientists at MIT have developed a ring-shaped device that goes around your finger, scans any text above the fingertip, and reads that text aloud in a robotic voice.

    They’re calling it the FingerReader. It’s still a prototype.

    Here’s how it works. There’s a nifty camera embedded inside the device. As your finger scans the pages, the camera hones in on the words. A robotic voice then reads the words aloud as your finger moves across the page. There are also motion sensors that easily detect when your finger reaches the end of a line or strays off the page.

    And if you thought all that was cool, here’s the best part: It’s all going to be privately funded.

    That’s right. Government need not apply.

    The researchers are hoping to attract investors, also known as capitalists, to help launch their invention into mass production.

    There are currently over 285 million people in the world who are visually impaired, of whom 39 million are blind, and another 246 million have moderate to severe visual impairment, according to the World Health Organization. 


    Jerome Hudson

    Managing Editor

    Jerome Hudson has written for numerous national outlets, including The Hill, National Review, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and was recognized as one of Florida’s emerging stars, having been included in the list “25 Under 30: Florida’s Rising Young Political Class.” Hudson is a Savannah, Ga. native who currently resides in Florida.

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