A tech world that aids the disabled

Ramps for wheelchairs are now common in modern buildings, thanks to inclusivity campaigns and regulations introduced by authorities to ensure accessibility. However, in many cases, these provisions are not effectively implemented.

An amusing example was shared by Professor M. Balakrishnan, a distinguished faculty member from IIT Delhi, who was recently in Trivandrum to participate in Empower 2024 at the National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH).

[As we reported last week, this noteworthy event brought together many esteemed tech experts from institutions across India, all working in Assistive Technology (AT), a sector dedicated to using technology to aid those with disabilities.]

Balakrishnan recounted visiting Mysore railway station after it received accolades as the best accessible station, keen to see the facilities firsthand. The station featured various assistive amenities, including a Braille map for the visually impaired.

“When I visited, I saw a Braille map was prominently displayed,” he said, “but a security guard and his table were placed in front of it. No one could access the map,” says Balakrishnan, who has been at the forefront of providing technological intervention to help the blind.

“This illustrates that regulations alone aren't enough; in many cases, technological solutions are essential to meet the needs of those who are blind, have hearing and speaking difficulties, or other cognitive challenges.”

“For example, a public toilet accommodating a wheelchair is considered accessible. However, for a blind person, without knowledge of the layout, it is not helpful,” says Balakrishnan, who has served over three decades in the Computer Science and Engineering department at his alma mater, IIT Delhi.

Early in his career, the Tamil Nadu native made groundbreaking contributions to the Indian Navy’s first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, and later worked on projects at Syracuse University and in Germany before joining the faculty at IIT Delhi in 1997.

SmartCane Project

Balakrishnan’s far-reaching work over the past two decades has focused on assisting blind individuals. The development of SmartCane, which helps the visually impaired navigate both indoors and outdoors, remains one of the outstanding assistive technology tools developed in India.

The project began when Dipendra Manocha, a visually impaired musician who heads the tech lab at the National Association for the Blind, sought Balakrishnan’s assistance.

“Unlike in other countries, walking on Indian roads presents myriad challenges for the visually impaired. While canes help individuals navigate, they only detect objects at ground level. A person using a cane will be aware of a tree in their path, but if a branch extends into the way, they will not know."

“This issue also arises indoors, where objects like air conditioners are mounted on walls in corridors, making them difficult to detect with a cane,” recalls Balakrishnan.

The IIT team, led by Balakrishnan, developed an innovative device called SmartCane, which uses ultrasonic sound to detect objects from knee to head height along a path.

“We tested the prototype with 30 users in six cities to fine-tune it before we launched it. Such end-user trials were also unheard of in India at that time.”

“It was not just the tech part we focused on, but we also hired a professional design team for the project. Before that people never invested in the design process, but as Welcome Trust was funding the project, we had generous backing and could afford that.”

The SmartCane was launched in 2014 and was well-received by users. It won many awards and Balakrishnan was invited to talk about the product at a gathering of innovators organised by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in London. The SmartCane also made it to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington and the Glasgow Museum.

In the ten years since its launch, over 30,000 SmartCanes have been supplied to users in India and other countries. Chennai-based Phoenix Medical Systems now manufactures the device and continues to be a leader in the market, although similar products have emerged.

Bigger Problem

During preparations for the product launch, the team discovered an even bigger challenge faced by the visually impaired. “We wanted to create a manual with a simple diagram to explain the ultrasound ranging process. We thought this would be straightforward, but we soon realised no technology was available to translate diagrams for blind individuals.”

According to the 2011 census, India has more than 5 million visually impaired people, the largest number in any country. Yet, textbooks for the visually impaired consisted solely of Braille text, as there was no means to include diagrams and pictures. As a result, blind students were often limited to subjects like literature and unable to pursue science.

“So, we made a representation to the government to establish a centre for this, and fortunately, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) allocated funds.”

“We created the Assistive Tech Lab at IIT Delhi, which undertakes projects to improve mobility and education for visually impaired individuals. It is a unique organisation, as it employs two blind people full-time, allowing us to receive instant feedback whenever we develop a prototype.”

By 2021, the lab had become self-sufficient through CSR funds and donations. “We developed the expertise to create tactile books and eventually formed a non-profit startup, the Raised Line Foundation, for this purpose,” says Balakrishnan. His co-founder in this venture is Madhusudan Rao, a professor of mechanical design at IIT Delhi.

The Raised Line Foundation now supplies books and training materials to over 3,000 students nationwide. They have even developed a geometric kit for visually impaired students, enabling them to create their own drawings. The startup currently collaborates with 75 blind schools throughout India.

A New Journey

Balakrishnan says that technology can address many challenges faced by the disabled. He is currently working on making bus journeys easier for blind individuals. The goal is to communicate the bus route number and guide them toward the passenger entry door.

He notes that it has become increasingly difficult for blind people to ask for help, as people at the bus stop are often engrossed in their mobile phones, adding to their challenges.

The centre developed a system that consists of a simple handheld device for the user and a unit that can be fitted on the bus. When the user presses a button, the device on the bus announces the route number. As the gadget is installed near the entry door, it also indicates the location of the bus door.

They conducted a successful trial in Mumbai involving 25 buses. However, a lack of funding has delayed further progress in India’s commercial capital. This year, the Karnataka State Transport Company has agreed to install the system in 500 buses in Bangalore and 200 buses in Mysore.

“Technology like this will hopefully address the problem and make people with disabilities more independent,” says Balakrishnan.

Pro-active West

Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Apple have been proactive in this space, with initiatives such as audio aids for Google Maps and Zoom generating live captions to assist the hearing impaired. However, prominent Indian companies have not followed suit.

Another challenge facing the assistive technology (AT) sector is the lack of a common platform for those working across various disability areas. Organisations catering to different groups, such as the blind, deaf, and other disabilities, have been operating independently.

Recognising this need, a group of tech experts, including Balakrishnan, convened the first Empower conference in Delhi in 2018. Since then, it has been held annually, although during the Covid lockdown years, it was conducted online.

It is an informal alliance of tech experts from various institutes, including different IITs, Bangalore IEEE, startups, and advocacy groups, facilitating valuable collaboration and dialogue, including input from end users.

The assistive technology (AT) sector also received a boost when the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) began funding projects in this area. Previously, such initiatives were directed to the Ministry of Social Justice, which had limited funds and lacked the remit to conduct trials and research. While the ICMR's entry has broadened the scope of the sector, the involvement of Indian IT firms remains largely confined to CSR projects.

A Blind Eye

At Empower 2024, many entrepreneurs and startups led by disabled individuals showcased their products, indicating that assistive technology (AT) is gaining a foothold in India.

The Kerala government often promotes its ambition to become a hub in technology sectors like graphene and hydrogen. While these are commendable ideas, these are highly competitive fields.

Given Kerala’s healthcare standards and commitment to social equality, AT is a sector where the state could excel, especially if it integrates this focus into its efforts to develop the medical device industry. However, the absence of government officials and IT leaders at the last Empower summit suggests they remain blind to the sector’s potential.

Robots are cementing their role

Singapore's Housing and Development Board projects could see robots taking on plastering and painting jobs by 2025. The deployed robots will have sensors to plan their routes around construction sites, navigating tight corners while applying finishes to interior surfaces like walls and ceilings, reports The Straits Times. Each robot takes about 90 minutes to paint a four-room flat – a job that would typically take three workers 70 minutes. Over 50,000 housing units have already been completed this way.

The race for commercial robots is accelerating globally, with Tesla showcasing its Optimus models. Recently, Toyota has joined forces with Boston Robotics to develop intelligent humanoids. This partnership brings together two robotics labs owned by competing automakers, Hyundai (which acquired Boston Dynamics in 2020) and Toyota. Meanwhile, in China, private companies and university labs showcased over 30 humanoid robots during its annual Robotic Conference held in Beijing recently.

Sky-high ambitions of foreign firms

With New Delhi opting to allocate satellite spectrum rather than auction it, more foreign firms are looking to enter the market. At the recent India Mobile Congress held in New Delhi, US-based Viasat teamed up with BSNL to demonstrate how satellite internet can deliver messages and calls to Android phones. During the demo, a signal was sent 36,000 km to one of Viasat's geostationary L-band satellites, showing that cell phone connectivity via satellite is technically feasible for Indian consumers and businesses. Viasat stated that it is currently working with partners, including BSNL in India, to expand satellite services on consumer and IoT devices worldwide.

Students devise a sound idea

This is a story we loved: a group of Canadian students outperformed major defence firms, including Boeing, in a hackathon on anti-drone technology using sound waves. The students began testing their concept in a parent’s backyard with an old car speaker, reports The Wall Street Journal. The four engineering students from the University of Toronto invested their own money to create a speaker-like device that emits ultrasound waves to destabilise a drone’s navigation systems. At the hackathon, organised by the Canadian military, industry giants showcased advanced laser weapons and high-tech gadgets. However, the students succeeded in disabling the drones, winning a prize of 270,000 Canadian dollars. The founders of Prandtl Dynamics say the victory was a big relief, as they had maxed out their credit cards to build the prototype.

AI gadget that is a royal flush

AI is popping up everywhere – even in your loo! An Austin-based health startup, Throne, has invented the camera that clips to the side of your toilet bowl and snaps photos of your, well …“business”.  Using what the company calls “artificial gut intelligence,” this high-tech Pottycam analyses what goes down to keep tabs on your gut health. Throne claims it can spot health clues in stool and even pick up “nuances” in urine that reveal hydration levels, reports TechCrunch. And before you ask, the camera is bowl-focused, deletes any irrelevant pics, and anonymises all data. So, your throne will remain as secure as ever.