This robot can help the visually impaired write

Once charged, the device can write answers for upto three question papers

Seeing a play in which 19 visually impaired children performed, so inspired a Kolhapur youth, that he decided to do something to help them. In a span of four months, he created a device with his colleagues Vaibhav Jadhav and Jinya Gadda, which transforms speech into words, that can be printed.

Bora is a resident of Ichalkarangi in Kolhapur and works as a scientist at the Indian Space and Research Organisation's GNSS study centre in Hyderabad. GNSS and Space Development Nexus, New Delhi, have supported him and his colleagues with this invention.

Bora saw a play, Apurva Meghdoot, and was keen on helping visually impaired children. He was moved when he learnt how these children struggle every day, especially during examinations to find writers.

He said, "My colleague Vaibhav developed the design for the robotic writer and the operations part was done by Jinya. The device operates on verbal communication. We have spent around Rs 25 lakh on developing it. It is being sold for a price between R3,000 and R5,000." He claims this is the only device of its kind in the world.

He added, "A visually impaired person can write with the device. It also has around 6,500 lanugages stored in it. It also has recipes stored in it. Even without a SIM card it can be used to make calls and for texting." Bora said a Russian science and technology centre and an American institute have been working on such a device with the help of their robotic writer.

Rs 5k
Approximate price of the robotic writer

How the robotic writer works
The device has a speaker with two switches. One switch can be used for questioning it and the other is for receiving answers from it. Once charged the device can write answers for upto three question papers. The answers can then be printed.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates